Little Green Men
by dingdang564564
Summary: A small town in the Russian Federation is attacked by foreign soldiers much in a similar way as Ginza was. However, the invaders will soon learn that the Russian Military is not as kind or merciful as the JSDF. Blood will be spilled, vengeance will be taken.
1. Chapter 1

Cameras flashed as a tall Russian man was questioned by reporters.

"President Malikov, what are your thoughts about the recent attack on Ginza?" Korney Malikov, President of the Russian Federation, considered the reporter's question for a moment.

"Russia gives its heart out to the Japanese people in this horrific attack. We may not be the closest of friends, but no act of barbarity can go unpunished and we wish them the best in their future endeavors," his response was received by furious scribbling and a couple of nods from the room. Another reporter raised her hand and the Russian President nodded at her.

"President Malikov, has the Russian government sent any aid to Japan?"

"As of the moment, Russia has yet to send aid to the Japanese government. However, if they should request any, we will be glad to provide them with it," the relatively young president spoke firmly.

Another reporter stood and asked him a question, "Was the recent terror attack in the town of Novinka in any way related to the Ginza Incident? Does the Russian Federation have a gate of their own?"

"This is ridiculous, the recent attack in Novinka was the result of a dangerous cult and was in no way related to what happened in Ginza. The government is not aware of any gates in Russia, reports that say otherwise are false. No more questions," with that Malikov began to exit the room.

The reporter wouldn't give up, "Why has there been an increased military presence in the area? Why was the area declared an exclusion zone?!" it was too late though, Malikov was gone.

* * *

Sergeant Viktor Statnik sat inside his squad's BTR-82A as it rumbled down the road. They were heading to Novinka where they were told they'd be protecting the town from the cult that had previously attacked. Last week, news outlets had reported gunfire coming from the small town, the government was quick to assert it as a terror cult. Apparently the town was still at risk of further attacks and so more forces were needed to prevent them. Viktor didn't believe this excuse for a minute.

According to the government, the terrorists had been dealt with by local police. _So why were they sending the military?_ And even if the threat was that great, an entire motorized rifle brigade seemed like complete overkill. Beyond that, the entire cult excuse was awfully suspicious to Viktor. Novinka was a small town in the Leningrad Oblast, surely any cult activity would take place in the more largely populated city of Saint Petersburg.

There was one last thing. Before they'd been sent out, the soldiers had been given brand new Ratnik equipment. While Viktor knew the Russian Ground Forces were being given modernized equipment, they hadn't expected this for at least another year or so. Their old AK-74Ms were replaced by new AK-12s. New uniforms, armored vests, helmets, and communications systems had been handed out to the brigade. This was not the sort of stuff you sent to deal with domestic terrorists.

It was all making his head spin.

To add onto all of this, the world was in shock. Ginza, Japan had been been attacked by soldiers taken straight out of a history book. Now the Prime Minister of Japan was talking about an alternate world with fantasy creatures and also invading said alternate world. After decades of peace, Japan went to war again. Only this time it was against monsters and Romans.

Viktor had to get his head together. A jumbled mind led to bad decisions and quick mistakes, as squad leader he couldn't let that happen. His eight man squad relied on him being a capable leader.

Shaking his head, Viktor looked around the BTR. Most of his men were either sleeping or deep in thought like he just was. One of them, his second in command Demian Muratov, made eye contact.

"Sergeant, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course Demian, anything you wish," he backed up his response with a reassuring smile.

"Well Viktor," there was a hint of hesitance in his voice, "do you think we'll see combat finally?"

Viktor thought on the question. None of their squad members had seen action in any of the recent conflicts in Ukraine, Syria or the Caucasus. Because of this there was strong wish in all of them, even Viktor, to get some experience. Unlike many soldiers of the Russian Federation, they were volunteers, not conscripts.

He finally came up with a suitable answer, "Perhaps we'll get a chance at fighting, but I wouldn't bet any rubles on it."

The BTR suddenly lurched to a stop, they'd arrived at their destination.

"Everyone one up!" Viktor's yell woke anyone that hadn't been awake from the sudden stop, "Move, move, move!"

The squad scrambled out of their seats and out the BTR's hatches. Viktor was the last to go and he was greeted by the sight of an empty town being flooded by fellow Russian soldiers. Checking to make sure he had all his equipment, Viktor signaled for his squad to follow him and started jogging to the center of town with the other squads.

The town was completely void of any civilians and there were no signs of the damage that would have come with a terror attack. _They definitely didn't tell us the truth when coming here._

As they came to the town center, Viktor spotted a strange building. It was unlike any Russian building he'd seen, marble pillars with blue crystals embedded in them, it almost looked like Greek or Roman architecture. It suddenly clicked for Viktor. Their commander confirmed it for him.

"Soldiers of the Russian Federation!" Major General Marka Rozovsky's voice boomed out of a loudspeaker, "Approximately one week ago, Russia was attacked by an enemy similar to the one seen in Ginza. In order to contain panic, the government declared it to be minor domestic terrorism. But make no mistake, these were bloodthirsty monsters who sought our motherland's destruction!"

There was a pause as the Major General regained his posture. Many of the soldiers spoke to each other in hushed whispers.

Rozovsky continued, "You soldiers are hereby assembled as the 16th Motor Rifle Brigade. This brigade is to be tasked with the exploration of this new land and the discover of those responsible for attacks on Russian soil. We cannot let this attack go unpunished."

Murmurs of agreement spread throughout the crowd of soldiers.

"Spetsnaz operatives have conducted reconnaissance of the other side. They confirm what we had assumed. This is a completely new world, satellite communication is unresponsive, the existences of monstrous creatures has been confirmed, and an army is assembled ready to conduct a second attack."

He cleared his throat then began once more, "They have also confirmed…" Rozovsky's voice wavered and he cleared his throat a second time, "They have also confirmed that these invaders have taken a significant portion of Novinka's civilian population as slaves."

Shouts of outrage came from the soldiers. There was significant hate brewing for these invaders. Viktor found himself similarly growing disgust for the attackers.

"You have all been selected because we have faith you will do your duties. All of you have volunteered to defend Russia. It is my firm belief that none of you shall fail in your tasks."

The crowd of soldiers began to cheer. Everyman here was a volunteer, everyman here was a patriot, everyman here was willing to die for his nation. It was almost as if someone had selected them specifically for those traits.

The Major General raised his hand to quiet down the crowd, "As many of you know, the Japanese Self Defense Force has launched a similar incursion into what is now known as the Special Region. Though we fight a similar foe, it is the belief of our intelligence agencies that they will only try to prevent our retribution on the invaders and bring about American involvement."

People started to boo and shout.

"For this reason, upon any contact with the JSDF, all personnel are to remove any markings showing allegiance to the Russian Federation and avoid interaction at all costs. All soldiers are required to cover their faces when in the field, and no photos or videos are permitted to be sent out of the Special Region without explicit permission."

Rozovsky came to the end of his speech, "Tomorrow we shall embark on an expedition into a world unknown. Retribution will be collected and these invaders shall learn that Russia bows to no one!"

More cheers sounded out as the Major General disappeared from sight. Viktor looked at his cheering squad, he couldn't help but feel a bit of patriotism in himself.

"You heard the Major General, be ready to mount up early in the morning. Tomorrow we ride into war."

* * *

Inside a large tent sat the two commanders of the Imperial army at Aquila Hill. Their initial assault into the new world had been met with little success. Instead of the overwhelming victory and subsequent conquest of new land, like they had expected to happen, they had been driven back by an army of mages.

Fortunately, Caius La Cervidae had managed to sound a retreat before the enemy's full magical potential had been unleashed. His contemporary, Tullus Co Creseces, was now trying to create a solution against their enemy's superiority in magic.

"I still believe that the most efficient way to counter their magic is to employ our mages in a more effective manor." Tullus tried to convince Caius of his plan's feasibility, "If we embed the mages with sections of infantry, we'll be capable of shielding them from assault or nullifying the enemy magic."

Caius was not convinced, "If we put our mages with the infantry they'll just get bogged down in the ensuing melee. Instead we should have them in the backlines casting supportive spells while our cavalry makes a frontal charge before their mages are able to finish casting their own spells."

"That'll never work, we saw on the other side of the gate how well cavalry charges worked against their magic. It was a slaughter." Both men could remember the screams of horses and men from the battle.

"Mages require extensive amounts of time to cast their spells. The only reason our charge was destroyed was because they had the time to prepare. This time we won't give them that!" Caius' voice rose as he defended his plan.

"And if they are prepared? What happens if they are able to cast their spells? We'd be sending our men into another slaughter!" Tullus slammed his fist down on the table they sat around. At the other end of the table, Caius flinched at his behavior.

"Perhaps… you're right," he sighed and rubbed his face. "We'll go with your plan then, embedding the mages with our heavy infantry. I apologize for being so rude, the constant stress has been getting to me."

"Caius, it's not your fault. We've been tasked with a difficult objective, but we'll come out victorious. I know we will," he patted Caius on the shoulder as he spoke.

"I just hope the army at Alnus Hill did better than we did."

* * *

Viktor pulled up his balaclava over his nose and checked his vest to make sure he had everything needed. The main advantage of their Ratnik gear, the Strelets system which allowed him constant communication with his squad and gave their position to him via the GLONASS satellite system, was useless in a place without satellites. As such, these systems sat in the back of his squad's BTR, unused.

The rest of his gear was on him and easily accessible. He climbed into his squad's BTR, with the rest of his squad, awaiting orders to advance.

Due to the nature of the gate, they were forced into a column which bottlenecked their fighting potential. The tank battalion was put in front to smash through whatever stood in their way, while the motorized rifles would follow behind to dismount and secure the area. They wouldn't have air support initially until aircraft could be carted into the new world.

Viktor looked at his squad to make sure no one was missing. Demian was sat towards the back of the BTR and gave a grin of reassurance at him. Igor, their light machine gunner, sat next to Demian cradling his RPK. Next was Kilment, designated as the squad's grenadier, he carried the RPG-7V2 into battle Sergei, the assistant grenadier, helped him. Then there was Luka, the squad's medic, and Alina, the squad's only female soldier. Finally Tomas was their designated marksman, quietly eating his breakfast in his seat. There were of course the two BTR crewmen, but they were separate from the squad in a way.

All in all, Viktor was happy with his squad. He felt like he'd be able to command them effectively and that they'd listen to his orders. Obviously he wouldn't really know until their first battle, but Viktor could only hope he was right. Otherwise they'd all be dead soon.

The BTR's radio suddenly blared up, "All forces, advance into the gate. Repeat, all forces, advance into the gate. Over."

"Begin to advance, driver." Viktor gave his confirmation to the BTR's crew.

The vehicle lurched forward and they slowly approached the gate. Viktor watched the tanks get swallowed by the darkness through a view slit. He gained a feeling of unease in his stomach.

Soon enough, they entered the darkness themselves.

The tunnel was illuminated by their vehicle's lights yet the darkness ahead seemed never ending. Viktor saw Sergei give a prayer as they went further into the gate.

"You know, I heard the Japanese found dragons. Think we'll have to fight one ourselves?" it was Alina who broke the silence.

"I hope so, I want to see what my RPG can do," Kilment responded.

The darkness began to give way for what looked like moonlight.

"Quiet on the chatter, squad. We're approaching our destination," Viktor told them.

Moonlight filled the area as the armored vehicles rolled into the new land. The first tanks saw an enemy encampment at the base of the hill they were on. Viktor's squad soon rolled up behind them.

"The enemy is in sight! Dismount! Quickly, go!"

The squad opened their BTR's hatches and climbed out. Viktor directed them to head next to the tanks and be on the watch out for enemy movement. Then he ordered the BTR's crew to take up a defensive position and ready the cannon.

Viktor took a deep breath. _This is what another world smells like hmm? Smells cleaner than our world._ He took a look around him at the increasing number of Russian soldiers coming through the gate. _Too bad we're going to have to ruin it._

* * *

This is my first story ever and I'm very much still an amateur writer. I'd love to get some constructive criticism or just any reviews at all.

There's another story with a very similar premise called "Gate - The Russian Bear" by Roshia Jin. I didn't find out it existed until after I finished writing this chapter, if I'd known I would probably have not written this and just waited for those chapters to come out. I very highly recommend checking it out, it's well written and probably better than this will be.

Also full disclaimer, I am not Russian so if I make any MAJOR errors, please tell me so I can fix them.

Thank you for reading, I think I'm going to end up posting chapters every week or so.


	2. Chapter 2

Tullus awoke to the sound of a distant rumbling. It was the middle of the night, Imperial soldiers around camp seemed to be having similar awakenings. Tullus exited his tent to question his guards.

"What is happening? Where is that noise coming from?"

"We don't know for sure what's going on, but the sentries think the noise is coming from Aquilla Hill," the guard spoke with a slight tinge of fear in his voice.

Tullus' eyes widened, "Rally the men together! Prepare for an attack on that hill!"

The man nodded and ran off and Tullus went back into his tent to put on his armor. It seemed that the enemy had come to them. The Imperial Army couldn't allow them to have the first move, they needed to catch their enemy by surprise before their mages could ready their full strength. Speed was the key to victory now.

He fumbled with the last strap on his armor before finally getting it tight. Tullus then picked up his sword and exited his tent to find Caius. Fortunately, the two men thought alike.

"Tullus! Are we to attack the hill in the darkness?" Caius' hair was a mess and his armor was clearly put on in a rush.

"We don't have time for our mages to cast their protective spells, we need to strike fast. It seems we'll be going with your plan after all."

Caius nodded in agreement, "I'll lead the cavalry in a charge, you bring up the infantry and archers to mop up."

Tullus clasped his hand with Caius', "Good luck to you, friend."

"The same to you."

* * *

Viktor watched through his night vision goggles as the enemy army gathered for an attack. They'd set up limited defensive positions and were now awaiting an assault. _Bastards better come soon._

The Russian Military hadn't skimped out on supplying them with top of the line vehicles. The BTR-82A that Viktor's squad used was the latest in development for Russian BTRs. At the front, the tank battalion was using top of the line and very rare T-90 Main Battle Tanks. Though they hadn't arrived through the gate yet, there was talk of the experimental 2S35 Self-Propelled Gun being used. Suffice to say, they had the best of the best.

This, in addition to the infantry's Ratnik equipment, added onto the wishes of many to see combat. To test out this brand new equipment would be a truly awe inspiring display.

Viktor suddenly noticed something through his night vision goggles. In the distance, a massive wave of horses and men were approaching them. It was a glorious sight to behold.

"Command, this is Shapka-213, we have enemy cavalry approaching our position. Do we have permission to fire?" Viktor spoke into his radio.

"Understood, Shapka-213, all units are cleared to engage. Repeat, all units are cleared to engage."

He looked towards his squad members, "Open fire!"

Viktor flipped the safety off of his AK-12 and set it to semi-automatic. Immediately the sound of gunfire erupted around the hill as accurate fire was sent towards the encroaching cavalry.

The front line of horsemen started to fall. Many of their horses were shot dead causing the riders to be crushed or trampled. The Russians were slaughtering them.

Still, they kept coming.

Viktor sighted down another cavalryman and opened fire. His round tore through the man's breastplate and knocked him off the horse, dying. Firing at another enemy, Viktor's bullet entered the skull of his target's horse and caused the man to be crushed by his own mount.

He could hear the sound of Igor's RPK firing in fully automatic. Tomas was next to him, sighting down anyone who looked important and the rest of the squad were firing their AK-12s.

Then the tanks opened fire.

The T-90s fired high explosive fragmentation, or HE-FRAG, shells down range. Instantaneously, the remaining cavalrymen were obliterated as their armor was sheared through by shrapnel caused by the shell. The tanks then opened fire with their machine guns.

PKMT and NSV machine gun rounds wiped out any survivors. In a matter of less than two minutes, the glorious cavalry charge had been completely annihilated.

Viktor's radio blared up, "All forces advance on the enemy and neutralize survivors. Take prisoners for interrogation."

"Alright, we're moving!" he stood up from the ground. "Get in the BTR, quickly!"

* * *

Tullus watched in horror as the cavalry was decimated by the other world's magic. The great iron chariots spat forth fire, killing all in its sight. Nothing could have survived that. Not even Caius.

They needed to run.

"We can't fight them here!" he shouted to the infantry around him. Tullus looked to a centurion near him, "Bellnahgo is just north of here, get the army there safely and fortify it. I'm putting you in command. Do you understand?"

The man was too shocked to react.

"Do you understand?!"

He nodded mutely before gathering the strength to speak up, "W-what about you, sir?"

"I'm staying here, under no circumstances are you to come back for me. Now go!"

The man nodded again started to lead the remaining soldiers away from the battlefield.

Tullus looked at the iron chariots approaching him. He drew his sword. These monsters of metal and magic killed Caius, if he ran now Tullus would never forgive himself. He knew that he couldn't make it off the battlefield alive, but if he could draw their blood once it would all be worth it.

The chariots grew ever closer. Of all the things he had expected to destroy the Empire, natural disasters, civil war, famine, poor rulers. Invaders from another world was not one of those things. The Imperial Army had been too arrogant, Tullus and Caius had been too arrogant. They thought nothing could best their might. Now Tullus saw their foolishness. _There's always a bigger fish._

An iron chariots stopped in front of him. Several men in strange green clothes, wearing masks and, carrying metal staffs, stepped out of the chariot.

"Bros' svoy mech! Podnimite ruki vverkh!" their language was strange and incomprehensible to Tullus.

He walked forward with his sword.

"Ostan'sya!"

Tullus continued forward. He became close enough and sprinted at the first man he saw. Tullus' sword was forward. He was ready to take vengeance for all the men that had been killed, he was ready to take vengeance for Caius.

Pain exploded in his right knee.

The Imperial General found himself on the ground clutching his wound. It had appeared along with a deafening noise. He tried to stand, but two of the strange men shoved him down. Soon enough one of their strange staffs impacted his head. Everything went dark.

* * *

Viktor sat on top of his squad's BTR, surveying the battlefield. It was morning now, and the results of their engagement were now visible. Thousands of dead men and horses littered the area. Carrion birds were picking apart corpses, while Russian soldiers dug mass graves to bury the dead.

 _Serves them right for attacking us._

Kilment climbed out of the BTR and sat next to Viktor. He was smoking a cigarette and gazed upon the piles of bodies. They sat in silence for several minutes.

"Why did they keep coming?" Kilment suddenly asked.

Viktor looked over at him, "Hmm?"

"After we started shooting at them, the cavalry could have run. But they kept coming until the tanks killed them all. Why?" he inhaled deeply on his cigarette.

"Loyalty?" Viktor didn't truly have an answer.

"How loyal to do have to be to walk into that slaughter?"

"Maybe they're just insane?"

The answer didn't satisfy Kilment, "Maybe…"

Viktor sighed, "I'm going to get something to eat, you want to come?"

Kilment just sat there quietly. Viktor took that as a no and hopped off the BTR. In the hours since the battle ended, hundreds of supply trucks had brought in the supplies necessary to build an entire military base. The engineering corp had been working hard to set up the structures.

Designed to allow for the maximum field of fire possible, the fort took the shape of a large hexagon. The outer wall was constructed of wire mesh gabions, similar to the HESCO barriers used by the American Military, which were planned to be replaced by more permanent concrete slabs. Inside, the construction of the barracks, mess hall, vehicle depot, medical center, base storage and command center was under way. There was even an area laid out for the construction of an airstrip.

Unfortunately, just because it was under construction did not mean it was finished. Viktor would still have to make do with field rations until the kitchens had been completed.

Digging into the rations, he thought about the invaders. They'd managed to capture a significant number of the Roman looking soldier, most of them having surrendered or picked up after being wounded. Apparently someone had managed to translate their language and though the interrogation reports hadn't been fully released, some information trickled out.

They called themselves Saderans. The continent they were currently on was Falmart and according to them it was ruled by the Saderan Empire. They came through the gate hoping to conquer new lands for the Empire, unfortunately they found Russia. _No one can conquer Russia, many have tried and many have failed._

The hill the gate had opened on was called Aquilla Hill, translating to eagle. As such, the Russian base was named the Oryol Military Base. Another gate had also opened up at a place called Alnus Hill, that was where it was presumed the JSDF had entered through.

Viktor wondered when they'd next move out. The remains of the Imperial Army had fled north, apparently there was a city there that they wished to defend. While he understood the importance of securing their only entrance into this world, Viktor didn't like the thought of letting an army with Russian citizens as their slaves escape.

All he could do was wait.

* * *

Tullus was cold and miserable. He awoke to a dark room with no one else in it. Strapped to some sort of metal chair, he couldn't move any of his limbs. There were also some strange metal clamps attached to his body. Tullus was then left there for what he believed to be several hours.

A sudden blinding light filled the room. The door to the room opened, revealing a tall man in a strange uniform and a fur hat.

"My name is Cheslav Boykov. I am an operative for the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation. I understand you are very confused, but I have some questions I'd like you to please answer," the man spoke in a very thick accent, but at least Tullus could understand him, unlike the other strange men.

"What is-" Tullus tried to speak but he was interrupted by an intense pain coursing through his body. His muscles froze up until Boykov flipped some sort of switch.

"I will be speaking, please do not interrupt."

"Bu-" the pain immediately returned.

"May I continue without your interruption now?"

Tullus nodded, not wishing to have the pain return.

"Excellent. Now, I understand you are a general for what is known as the Empire. Correct?" he nodded his head in confirmation.

"And you were assigned to the Imperial army sent to the gate at Aquilla Hill?" another nod.

"Am I correct in assuming you were in command of said army and thus commanded the expedition through the gate?" The man was now glaring at him directly in the eye.

"I-I had partial command," Cheslav raised an eyebrow in response. "The other man, Caius, h-he didn't survive."

"I see," there was a long pause before Cheslav continued his questioning. "I am aware that you managed to take many slaves during your incursion into the gate. Might I ask where they've gone?"

Tullus looked at him strangely. Why would he care about some peasants they took as slaves? He gave his answer regardless, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Cheslav rubbed his chin for a moment. "Well then, I'm afraid our conversation is going to be a rather long one."

With the flick of a switch, the pain returned to Tullus' body.

* * *

Emperor Molt Sol Augustus rubbed his head as he listened to the senate. The Empire was up against its greatest challenge to date. Not only was the attack on Alnus Hill a complete failure, but there were now reports coming in from Aquilla hill that it had similar failures. There were now two forces in the east that threatened the Imperial Capital.

"But what shall we do?" Godasen stepped forward with his cane. "The army we sent to Alnus was defeated in just two days, the one to Aquilla in a few hours. Now both gates have been captured and the enemy is attempting to set up bases at both of them. We attempted to take back them, but the enemy sourcery…"

Senator Podawan stood up, "We ought to fight them! If we do not have enough men, we need only to recruit them from our tributaries. Attack the other side of both gates once more!"

"What good will brute force alone do?" one of the senators cried in outrage.

"It'll be another Godasen!"

The room started to descend in a shouting match between the two sides. Molt knew he needed to make a decision. Slowly he raised his arm into the air and the room became silent.

"I do not wish to sit idly by. Therefore, we must fight," there were shocked expressions from the anti-war side of the senate. "Send delegates to our tributaries and neighboring states. Ask for help in defending the continent from these men from another world."

Molt stood from his throne, "Have the Allied Army lead an attack on Alnus Hill while the remnants of the army at Aquilla Hill resist and wait for reinforcements."

The room exploded into cheers of praise for Emperor Molt. But beneath his mask of assurance, Molt knew the army wouldn't survive. Though that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

* * *

Korney Malikov once again stood in front of rows of reporters and journalists. This was the second press conference they'd had that week.

"President Malikov, why has the Russian Military increased its presence in Novinka? Is the cult still truly a problem?"

"Our military is in the area to protect Novinka and nothing else. The cult activity has diminished due to our efforts, however it still remains a significant threat. Next question," Malikov had been well prepared for the reporter's inquiry.

Another reporter stood, "Satellite imagery has recently revealed a gate similar to the one found in Ginza at the center of Novinka before being covered by a dome similar to the one in Ginza. Do you still deny the allegations that Russia has a gate of its own?"

"The purpose of the dome in the center of Novinka is to serve as a secure facility where our military forces are able to coordinate defensive measures against the recent terrorist attacks in the area. The image of a gate in Novinka is falsified. Russia does not have a gate similar to the one at Ginza."

"If this is true, why has the press been restricted from entering the area?"

"Novinka is still very much a dangerous area to be in, the restriction of the press is purely for the safety of reporters," he immediately pointed to another journalist.

"Does Russia have any personnel assisting the Japanese in the Special Region?"

Malikov had his answer before the reporter finished, "The Japanese government has so far refused any offers for assistance from Russia. In the future we would be willing to send civilian or military personnel to assist their mission," the Russian President gave his response with a serious face.

"Until that time arrives, there are no Russian personnel in the Special Region."

* * *

I got inspired, so here's the second chapter.

The reviews really motivated me to write more so thank you to hellisonfire345, UN Peacekeeper, farelian, and C V Ford for your kind words and encouragement.

Please give constructive criticism, thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Viktor once more was sitting on his squad's BTR. As it turned out, there wasn't very much to do at the Oryol Military Base. Despite many of the base's construction projects being finished, stable communication with Earth and internet was still being worked on. Even if it was established, Viktor doubted they'd get any sort of access to it. The base also lacked any sort library or movie depot, adding to the predicament.

Very quickly, Viktor had exhausted his reading material. Another squad had started to capitalize on the utter lack of entertainment. They claimed to have hundreds of movies of one of their personal computers and were hosting movie showings. Unfortunately, they were charging five hundred rubles per person and Viktor wasn't desperate enough to pay.

At the moment, the greatest thing Viktor had was cards. Currently, he was playing a famous Russian game known as Durak with Alina, Sergei, and Demian. Demian unfortunately was currently getting demolished.

"You are cheating! Looking at my cards like the dirty cheat you are," Demian accused Sergei.

"I would never! Cheating is like lying and it is a sin to lie," He defended himself against the accusation. As Viktor had come to learn, Sergei was a devout Orthodox Christian. Demian just grumbled and hid his cards better.

Having been playing since he was able to hold cards, Viktor was fantastic at Durak. Then again, Alina was currently kicking his ass with Sergei and Demian piling on.

Viktor was about to place another card down when he saw his battalion commander approaching him. _I_ _wonder if we'll actually get to do something._

"Eh, Igor."

Igor raised his head from where he'd been laying against the BTR. "The fuck is it?"

"Take over for me," he set down his cards and hopped off the BTR.

"Fuck you too." Viktor grinned at Igor's response.

The battalion commander came closer and Viktor wiped the grin off his face. Lieutenant Colonel Jaromir Zolotov, a veteran of the Chechen Wars and Viktor's direct superior, was not a man to smile around. Viktor stepped towards him and straightened his back.

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel Zolotov." He accompanied his formal greeting with a stiff salute.

The lieutenant colonel returned his salute with a nod, "Comrade Sergeant Statnik. At ease."

Viktor widened his stance and placed his hands behind his back. Lieutenant Colonel Zolotov then decided to get down to business.

"You have a mission, sergeant," he pulled out a piece of paper. "This is a map of the continent we now know as Falmart. According to our aerial reconnaissance and information gathered from extensive interrogation sessions, the enemy army fled to a town north of here, Bellnahgo."

Victor nodded his head in understanding.

"Your mission is to map a safe route to the city then contact us via radio. After that, you should expect major reinforcements in order to capture the city and crush any resistance. Any questions?"

"Sir, why we are we being assigned to this task?"

"Your squad is being assigned because you are a capable leader and your squad is considered capable. Do not let that get to your head, Sergeant. There are many other capable squads in this brigade, you just happened to be picked. Any other questions?"

"None, sir," Viktor was just glad they'd finally be doing something other than sit in base all day.

"Report to the quartermaster for supplies, you'll be getting some special things for this mission," his tone remained stern. Viktor was glad to salute and be rid of him.

* * *

"What the hell are they preparing us for? An entire army?" Sergei groaned as he loaded RPG rockets into the BTR.

"That ammunition will come in handy, you should know this as my assistant," Kilment snapped at him.

Sergei looked at him and said, "Yes, but I have to carry the things that you get to shoot. It's not fair."

"Shut up and do your job," there was no arguing with the grenadier.

Tomas sat nearby, looking through the book of phrases they'd all been given to help communicate with locals. The language was very different from Russian and as such many in the squad found it hard to pronounce.

"Who the fuck invented this cursed tongue…?" he quietly muttered while flipping through the pages.

Luka agreed with him, "I hope to god we'll never have to actually learn it."

Alina carried several sacks of strange coins into the BTR. "Eh sergeant, what are these things anyway?"

"Special region currency, we collected it from the soldiers we captured. Command says it'll be useful for negotiating with locals," Viktor had been briefed by the quartermaster.

Igor walked by carrying a crate of supplies. He looked at Viktor, "Are we getting air power on this?"

"Yes, but it's limited, the base can only field a few planes in the air for the moment."

Luka turned his head, "If we've got air power why are we doing reconnaissance in the first place? Can't we just send a plane to do that?"

"They want us to secure a safe route through, they're weary of insurgents hiding from aerial recon," his voice didn't have the usual confidence in it. Viktor himself wasn't too happy about this.

"Viktor, did you piss anyone off at high command?" there was a bit of humor in Igor's tone.

"Not anymore than usual… Are we ready to go yet?"

Demian spoke up, "Yes, Igor just finished loading in our last crate."

 _Finally, we can go do something._ "Alright, everyone into the BTR. Let's get out of this place already."

* * *

The BTR rolled out the gates of Oryol Base and onto the expanse of open ground. Viktor ordered the driver to head north, a path that would lead them to the city of Bellnahgo. He then settled into his seat and surveyed the surroundings through his view slits.

They sat in silence for about an hour before Victor spotted something. It was a settlement, too small to be Bellnahgo, and maybe housing a hundred or so people judging from the structures. _Perhaps we can gather some information on the local geography from them._ He ordered the driver to pull into the village.

Entering the village, everything was quiet. It looked as if the village was abandoned. _Either that or they're hiding._ The BTR rolled to a stop at the center of the village. Viktor and his squad dismounted to take a closer look.

"Spread out, don't enter any houses yet." The squad members nodded in confirmation and did as he ordered, looking around.

Viktor approached the town's well and casually peered into it. Nothing seemed to be wrong with it, so that wasn't a reason for the town's apparent emptiness. There also weren't signs of any battles here.

Tomas came up to him, "Sergeant, I don't think we should stay here long."

"Why's that?"

"Because something must have driven these people away and I don't want to be here when it comes back," his voice showed no signs of joking.

"Your concerns are noted."

Tomas walked away, leaving Viktor to his thoughts. Maybe the villagers had fled because they fleeing Imperial army told them to. It would make sense, but Viktor didn't take the Imperials to be all that caring for their citizens. _They must be hiding._

The creaking of a door brought him out of his musings. Viktor snapped his rifle towards the noise on instinct. He relaxed his grip when he saw a small child peeking out the door at him. Raising one hand, he waved at the child.

Suddenly a yell sounded out from his right. A man dressed in armor charged out from a house, sword raised. Caught off guard, Viktor only barely turned in time to unload two bullets into the man's chest. It stopped him dead in his tracks.

Viktor blinked twice at the sudden turn in events. Then more battle cries were yelled out. Men came charging from the houses around them with weapons.

"Ambush!"

Raising his AK-12, he started to back up to the BTR.

One man went for him. Viktor put a two round burst into the ambusher's face.

"Get to the BTR! Stay together!" he shouted out to his squad as they began to mimic his movements.

Another man charged at Viktor with his sword raised high. The first shot narrowly missed the man's torso and impacted the house behind him.

His second shot hit the man's shoulder, but he kept charging like an enraged bull. _Fuck fuck fuck._ Viktor switched his AK-12 to fully automatic.

The man was now in reach of Viktor. Sword raised and ready to strike, it started to come down at his neck. If it impacted Viktor, he knew he wouldn't live long. He had to do something.

Viktor abruptly jammed him rifle's barrel into the man's face, stunning him. The sword stopped its decent as Viktor's opponent stumbled backwards.

Then Viktor held down the trigger.

The Kalashnikov barked as its power was unleashed by a simple press. Blood splattered onto the ground as the man's head was obliterated by 5.45x39mm bullets. A corpse soon dropped onto the soil.

Viktor tried to gain a bearing on his surroundings. The rest of his squad had made it to the BTR and were unleashing hell onto their ambushers.

That was all the time he got. Viktor found himself being tackled by an enemy soldier. Back to the ground, Viktor had to grab the man's wrist to prevent a dagger from entering his face. Thinking quickly, he used one hand to jam his fingers into his ambusher's left eye.

Jolting back in pain, the man allowed Viktor to shove him off of himself. Viktor didn't let the soldier react before he shoved the dagger through its owner's jugular.

Standing, Viktor gasped from the fight. He picked up his AK-12 and looked around. There were maybe twenty men dead on the ground and a couple more wounded. His squad looked to be fine. Luka was bandaging an injury on Kilment's arm, nothing major. No casualties.

"Kilment, Alina round up the wounded," he was tired as he spoke. They immediately began to pull wounded men off of the ground and put them kneeling in front of the BTR.

Viktor climbed on top of the BTR and opened up his language book. Looking up a few phrases, he then held up his Kalashnikov. Pressing the trigger, he let a few bullets fly into the air. The noise it generated rang out through the village.

"Attention all! Out of house!" his speech was basic and had a heavy accent, but it got across the point.

Men, women, and children began to shuffle out of the houses. They looked away from the corpses and wounded men. Viktor looked around for anyone with some sort of rank.

"Who in charge?!"

Some of the villagers stepped away revealing a man with greying hair. The man limped forward using a walking stick.

"I am the elder here."

Viktor hopped off the BTR and went up to the man, "Any other soldier?"

"You've killed all the Imperial warriors here."

"You know soldier plan attack?" Viktor glared him in the eyes.

"They had been waiting here for a few days, anticipating your arrival."

"You let soldier stay in village?" Once again, Viktor's accusatory gaze sat upon the old man.

The old man met Viktor's glare, "We are citizens of the Saderan Empire. As citizens, it is our obligation to house the Empire's soldiers. We were doing our duties."

Viktor gave him one last mean look before turning away. He switched back to Russian and addressed the squad, "Gather up all your dropped gear, we're leaving this cursed place."

"Sergeant, what about the wounded fighters?" it was Demian who brought up the question.

Viktor looked towards the men gathered on their knees.

"We can't bring them with us…" he tried to think of another solution. "Letting them go will only mean they'll ambush another squad…"

"Sergeant, you don't mean to…" Luka he trailed off from his thought.

"Get the children inside their houses, they don't need to see this."

Igor nodded grimly and began to shout at the villagers with his language book.

"Tomas, provide the prisoners with blindfolds."

* * *

The BTR once more rolled across the Special Region as they made their way north. Viktor got onto the radio to contact command.

"Command, this is Shapka-213, do you receive? Over."

"Receiving you loud and clear, Shapka-213. Do you have something to report? Over."

"Be advised insurgents may be using local villages to hide in and conduct ambushes. We encountered an ambush just recently, no casualties. Over."

"Understood, Shapka-213. Continue with caution. Over."

Leaning away from the radio, he looked around at his squad. Moral was at an all time low. He could see Sergei praying silently, Tomas in deep thought, Luka muttering something to himself over and over again, and Alina shifting uncomfortably in her sleep. The only two who weren't visibly affected were Igor and Kilment.

Viktor sat back in his seat and sighed. He was tired, very tired. Thinking over the situation again and again, Viktor took the option he thought was best. Letting them go would mean another squad ambushed. It meant a potential Russian casualty that he would be responsible all because he showed compassion to the enemy. An enemy that would not show the same compassion to him.

He'd made his choice, in the end, there were no right choices.

* * *

Oh boy, another chapter. I know I said I'd be releasing them once a week, but I've been really motivated by the small amount of support this story has generated. I honestly didn't expect this to get any reviews or favorites at all.

Anyways, thank you for reading and please review.


	4. Chapter 4

The rolling hills of the Special Region were a relaxing sight to Viktor. It was probably spring time here, despite it being late fall in Russia. Distant forests and even more distant mountains passed them as they rolled by in their armored vehicle. The landscape helped him forget about what he'd done. Viktor rested his eyes shut as he thought of the beautiful landscape.

A distant crackling served helped calm him. It sounded like rain drops falling on a spring morning. The sound brought childhood memories to Viktor's mind. Scenes of him playing with his sister during the spring rains filled his head. He began to drift off to sleep.

 _Wait… that's gunfire._

Viktor jolted up from his seat. He listened closely to the crackling sounds. _Definitely gunfire._ It was coming from their west. Viktor wasn't aware of any other recon teams that had made it out that far.

He grabbed the BTR's radio, "Command, this is Shapka-213. We are hearing gunfire to the west of our current location. Do you have any other units in the area? Over."

"Reading you, Shapka-213, we are not aware of any units in that area. Move in to investigate then continue with your mission. Over."

"Understood, Command. Over."

His radio call had awakened the others in the BTR. They sat up with groggy faces, looking around confused. Viktor directed the driver to head east while they orientated themselves.

"Eh, what the fuck is going on?" Alina demanded.

"Why are we heading off course?" Luka joined in on the questioning.

"Just shut up for a minute and listen," Viktor raised his hand to silence them.

The faint crackling sound was getting louder by the second.

"Hear that?"

Igor nodded, "Gunfire."

"Exactly. Command says they're not aware of any Russian forces in the area, so we're going to check it out," he explained to them.

"Do you think it's the Japanese?" Alina asked.

"Why would they be so far out here…?" Sergei wondered out loud.

Tomas sat up from his seat, "That's not the Japanese."

"How do you know that?" Alina questioned him.

"That's the sound of Kalashnikov fire. Last I heard, the Japanese weren't using Kalashnikovs," he explained to her in a deadpanned voice.

Igor nodded, "It has to be Russian then."

"Deserters?" it was Kilment who brought up the uncomfortable thought.

Viktor had to intervene before the conversation could damage moral, "There are no deserters here, nor will there ever be. We're here to defend the motherland. No soldier would desert that cause."

"Then who could it be, sergeant?" Tomas asked him.

"I don't know, that's why we're going to find out."

Demian, who had so far stayed silent, finally spoke up, "I don't like this."

Nodding once, Viktor agreed with him. "Just keep your rifle up and be ready for anything," he said.

* * *

They sat in silence for the remainder of the short journey. Eventually the BTR rolled over a hill revealing the source of the gunfire. There was a small group of men, maybe three or four, firing into a horde of Imperial soldiers.

"Holy god…" Sergei made the sign of the cross with his hand.

"Driver get us down there!" Viktor ordered. "Gunner, fire at the enemy! Try not to hit our friendlies."

The BTR-82A immediately opened fire with its 2A72 Auto Cannon. Its cannon belched out 30mm high-explosive incendiary shells at a rapid rate. Unfortunately, they were on the move and thus the shells were highly inaccurate, but this didn't matter when their enemy was in a massed formation.

The shells impacted the formation of men, scattering body parts and sending men to the ground dead. They kept coming.

Inside the BTR-82A, each passenger had a firing port to give them the capability to use their small arms while still being protected. It was times like this that this feature proved exceptionally useful. The squad members opened fire with their kalashnikovs into the charging soldiers. Ever determined, the Saderans didn't stop.

Arriving near the small group of men, Viktor opened the entrance to the BTR and yelled at them, "Get the fuck in!"

Not in the mood to argue, they did as they were told and piled into the BTR. It was a tight fit, but they managed.

The Saderans were getting closer to the vehicle, in spite of the excessive amount of firepower being thrown at them. They needed to move.

"Driver, get us out of this place!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Instantly, they lurched forward and turned away from the incoming horde of armored men. Speeding away at a rate faster than any man could run, their pursuers were soon left in the dirt.

Viktor turned to the men they'd saved, there were three of them, wearing uniforms clearly not standard issue. He needed answers.

"Who are you? Command said there weren't any Russian forces besides us in this area."

One of the men, presumably their leader, looked down at Viktor's rank before he spoke, "We are Atlant-012. GRU operatives."

"Spetsnaz…" Demian quietly muttered.

The man continued, "We were assigned to gather information on the Imperial army's leadership, but we got ambushed by a detachment of their men while enroute. We were about to be overrun when-"

"When we arrived," Viktor finished for him.

The man nodded, "Precisely. You have our thanks, sergeant, but we need to continue with our mission."

"We have our own mission, to secure a safe route to Bellnahgo, currently there's an obstacle in the way of that mission," Viktor knew that they would have to deal with the horde of men they had just run from. "Do you have any information on the enemy we just rescued you from?"

The Spetsnaz operative thought about it for a moment before responding, " We think there's around two hundred of them, probably less after casualties. They're staying at a nearby village know as Elna. The village was abandoned by its citizens when they came."

"Would you mind marking that down?" he handed the man his map of the Special Region.

Marking it with a pen, the man spoke again, "If that's all, sergeant, we'll be going now. We need to get back to our objective."

"Perhaps we can give you a ride?"

He shook his head, "Unfortunately, it's quite a tight fit in here. We'll make our own way."

Viktor understood, "Goodbye then."

The operatives got out of the BTR and started to jog away. Viktor knew the men hadn't told them the whole truth. That was just how Spetsnaz worked.

Viktor ordered the driver to head to the Elna's location.

"Sergeant, we're not going to be directly assaulting the town, right?" Alina voiced her concerns.

"Of course not. If I ever order something that suicidal, I hope you have the sense to put a bullet in the back of my head."

She chuckled at that, "As if we'd ever disobey your orders, sergeant."

"Maybe not you, but I think Igor has been eyeing me up," he joked.

"Never, sergeant!" the man in question raised his hands in mock surrender. "Well, maybe if you disrespect Sasha…"

"You've named your machine gun? You're more attached to that thing than Kilment is to his RPG. It's not good for your health," Tomas joined in.

"You're one to talk. I see you cradling that sniper rifle when you go to sleep. How are you going to get a girlfriend if that's the only thing you'll ever hug?" Kilment attacked him.

"And you're doing any better in that department?" he shot back.

"Hey, hey, maybe you two will have better chances now that we're in the Special Region. I hear they've got trolls here, it'll be a perfect fit for the both of you," Demian mediated.

"Fuck you!" they both yelled simultaneously at Demian.

"Alright, alright," Viktor defused the situation. "Anyone have some music?"

"I've got my phone, it's loaded with good songs," Luka told him.

"That's bullshit!" exclaimed Kilment. "All he's got are shitty American pop songs."

"What? And you prefer that old Soviet crap?"

"It's better than your fucking Lady Gaga shit."

"I suppose we should start praising communism then."

"Better a communist than an American lover."

The bickering didn't stop.

* * *

The BTR pulled up on a hill with a view point on the village and Viktor's squad dismounted. Viktor had made the decision not to get close enough for anyone inside to attack them, he didn't want to have to run from three hundred angry Romans. Taking out his binoculars, Viktor surveyed the village of Elna.

The streets were empty and not a single person was in sight. To an uninformed spectator it would seem that the village had been completely abandoned. _Just like the other village._ Viktor knew there were soldiers in the village. Hiding in ambush. Waiting to take them by surprise.

Viktor wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

The only question was, were there also civilians in the village? Sure, the Spetsnaz operatives had told them it was empty, but Viktor wasn't sure. He could see carts of grain on the side of the road and tools strewn around the buildings. Surely if the citizens had abandoned the town they'd have taken everything with them.

Demian walked up to him, "What's the plan, sergeant?"

"Well we can't exactly just roll into the village like last time," he said in a light hearted voice.

"I don't know, I think if we piss Igor off enough, he'll do it alone," Demian's response was met with a grin from Viktor.

Viktor got back to business, "We know there's probably around two hundred to three hundred men in there. Too many to risk getting in close."

"Can't we just engage from range with our BTR's main gun?"

He shook his head, "We'd be firing blindly into buildings. I'm not sure how effective our high explosive ammo will be against their stone buildings and we don't have enough armor piercing ammo to waste it on blind fire."

Demian contemplated that for a moment before speaking again, "Didn't you say we had air support earlier?"

"Yes…" his hesitance showed. Viktor wasn't sure he was willing to call an airstrike on a village that might have civilians in it.

"Well, why don't we use it? The Spetsnaz man said the civilians had evacuated, so there's no reason not to."

Thinking it through, Viktor couldn't come up with a better plan for approaching the village. An airstrike was the most effective way to deal with any hostile forces in the area.

He made his decision, "Alright, I'll call it in. After it hits, we'll head into the village to clear out any survivors," Viktor was careful to leave out his concern that there might be civilians in the village.

* * *

"330, we have a request for air support north of Oryol Base. Can you comply? Over."

Flying high in the air, the jet pilot finally got his first call. As standard protocol, there were always at least a few planes in the air to act as fast response for any ground forces in need. Up until now, no one had needed air support.

"Copy that, command. On my way to target. Over."

330 maneuvered his SU-34 Strike Fighter onto his new course. His radio blared up again.

"330, ground forces have lit up the target for you. Over."

"Understood, one minute until destination. Over."

The SU-34 was one of the most modern strike crafts the Russian Air Force had available to them. Typically they were used in Syria due to the constant action there, but the Russian Military had been pulling all stops for the Special Region. This was one of the first flights for the jet in the Special Region, as it was only very recently that Oryol Base had finished its airstrip. Due to this, all eyes were on 330 and his jet's performance in the new world.

While the Russian Ground Forces may have been unstoppable to the Empire's forces, the Air Force still had to worry. There were multiple reports of dragons both existing and being a threat to air power. It was one of the main reasons that helicopter use was currently being limited until further information could be gathered about the capabilities of dragons.

330 spotted his target, a small village that looked to be abandoned. He contacted command, "Approaching target, preparing to release explosive ordinance," his jet came ever closer to the village. "Dropping payload."

The jet flew over the village as two KAB-1500L bombs dropped. The laser guided bombs impacted the small village, unleashing 1,500 kilograms of explosive force each.

"Payload dropped, returning to Oryol Base. Over."

* * *

 _There's nothing left…_

Viktor walked through what used to be Elna village. The stone buildings that had made up the villager's homes were now just piles of rubble. There were also plenty of bodies in the rubble. So far all of them had been wearing armor which helped relieve Viktor's fears about killing civilians.

Every once and awhile, the squad would find someone still alive in the village. Each time, they put a bullet into the wounded soldier's head and kept moving. It was more of a mercy kill than an execution for the Saderan soldiers.

They quickly discerned there was no remaining threat in the village and left in their BTR.

While the rest of his squad celebrated their success against the Imperials, Viktor couldn't help but feel guilty. They had destroyed the homes of at least a hundred people, probably more. These people wouldn't have a home to return to if peace was ever made, they'd be refugees.

Still, they'd done well and Viktor was being too hard on himself.

At least two hundred enemy soldiers had been killed. Enemies who had invaded Russia seeking its destruction. The invaders had thought themselves invincible. They'd committed crimes against the Russian people without any fear of retribution. But now, like the German Reich before them, Russia was here to take its vengeance.

They continued on their way.

* * *

For the sixth time that week, Tullus found Cheslav's eyes staring through his soul.

He'd been moved to a new cell. Instead of the dark shack he once inhabited, he now sat in a plain concrete room. Blinding magical lights came from the ceiling illuminating the sparse furniture in the room, two metal chairs and a metal desk. There were no windows in the room, the only feature on any of the walls was a black pane of glass that Tullus couldn't see the point of.

"What is your full name?" Cheslav asked the same question he'd already asked many times before.

"Tullus Co Creseces," it was best to answer despite the futility of each question.

"Where do you live?"

"The city of Rondel. I am an Imperial citizen," he wondered if he'd ever see the magical city again.

"Who do you live with?"

"My wife and two children," with every minute Tullus became less certain he'd be reunited with them.

"What is your rank in the Imperial Army?"

"Legatus," that was what he had last been, though Tullus wasn't sure if that had since changed. He didn't even know if anyone knew that he was alive.

"What is the location of the Russian citizens your forces captured?" there it was, the question Cheslav had been so focused on. The one Tullus didn't have an answer to.

"I-I don't know," they'd been over this before. Tullus knew what came next.

"Not good enough, Legatus," Cheslav's voice seemed to get more menacing everytime he repeated that line.

The switch was flipped, the pain entered Tullus' body. Since he first experienced this pain, Tullus had since learned it was called electrocution. Apparently it sent tiny lightning bolts through his body, another one of the strange men's mysterious magic. No matter how many times it happened, the pain never dulled.

"Are you ready to answer?"

Tullus shook his head, "I don't know…"

Cheslav nodded slowly, "Would it help if we got you some water?"

Tullus shook his head.

"A good bath?"

Another shake of the head.

"Some better sleeping arrangements?"

Tullus once more shook his head no. Didn't the man know that nothing he did would help?

"How about your wife's corpse?"

Tullus blinked twice.

"Well?"

"M-my wife is in Rondel. You can't touch her…" Tullus said the last part mainly to himself.

"Didn't you hear? Rondel has been captured. We have your family in our custody right now," the Russian spoke as if he was stating a basic fact.

Tullus' heart rate spiked.

"I'll give you five seconds before I give the order to execute her."

He had nothing to give the man.

"Pyat," Cheslav spoke his native language.

Tullus had nothing that would protect his family.

"Chetyre."

He dug deep into his memory, trying to find a scrap of any information relevant.

"Tri."

All his life, Tullus had the same slaves care for his household. He never questioned where they'd come from.

"Dva."

 _Maybe someone else can tell him._

"Adeen," Cheslav walked towards the door.

"Wait!" Cheslav halted his movements. "I-I don't have what you want, but I know someone who does."

Cheslav headed back to the table and sat down in the metal chair. He smiled at Tullus, "I'm glad you've come to your senses, please continue."

* * *

It was getting late. The delays that they had suffered had turned what should have been a single day's trip into something much longer. Viktor was about to tell the driver to pull over so they could set up camp and get some sleep when he spotted smoke in the distance.

Looking through his periscope, he could see several plumes of smoke rising from behind a nearby hill. They didn't look too large, so he assumed they must have been campfires or something similar. Viktor doubted anything large was burning.

He viewed his tired and exhausted men. If this was another fight, he doubted they'd be operating at anywhere near full capacity. Still, Viktor couldn't just let a potential threat go unchecked. Exhausted or not, they had to soldier on.

When the BTR rolled over the hill that blocked their view, Viktor initially thought they'd discovered another army.

Masses of covered wagons were parked up near camp fires. There must have been at least a thousand people in the area. Tired as he was, Viktor nearly ordered the gunner to open fire to cover their retreat. Fortunately, he took a second look.

None of the men he could see were wearing armor or Imperial colors, the camp was completely unorganized, and not a single banner showing any allegiance was risen in the sky. These were not soldiers, these were refugees. Viktor guesses they must have been the villagers that had fled Elna and perhaps a few from other villages as well. His official orders from command were to attempt friendly relations with any civilians showing no hostility. He couldn't exercise those orders at the other village, for obvious reasons, but perhaps he'd have better luck here.

"Driver, bring us into the camp slowly. We don't want to scare anyone."

"Going to be friendly this time?" It was Alina who spoke, always the curious one.

Viktor yawned, "That's the plan."

* * *

Alright, this is the last chapter before I start actually taking a week between chapters. I had a pretty much entirely free weekend so I was able to crank these out pretty fast, but I realize I need to take longer to reread and edit.

Anyways I'm going to respond to some reviews individually.

God90zilla: Thank you a lot. Reviews like this are probably the reason I've been super motivated.

farelian: Yeah I'm going to slow down now. Expect a week between chapters.

hellisonfire345: The big reason why I did this story was because we always saw the American or Japanese perspective. While those stories are incredibly well written and I highly recommend people check them out, I always wanted to explore the Russian side. The Soviet ones are also amazing, but unfortunately I don't think they're being updated anymore. And yes, I'll be taking it more slowly.

tamerlan110: I'm not sure what you mean by "politefied" but I'm glad you left a review anyway, it shows me people are interested.

C V Ford: Your advise has been an incredible help to me. Thank you so much for the help, I'll be sure to take things more slowly from now on.

Guest Million: I think I'll definitely have Russian exploitation of the Special Region's natural resources in the future. Research will definitely be a top priority though satellites might take some time. I think nuclear ordinance would be too much, especially considering it would probably force Japan into letting America bring their own nukes into the Special Region and create a Cold War situation, something Russia does not want. Brutal interrogation, well that's in this chapter. There definitely will be no mercy for those that deserve it.

Arms Dealer: Ok so the main thing I wanted to do here was show off the modern Russian equipment, particularly the Ratnik program. That being said, I also didn't want to issue them with weapons that hadn't been accepted by the Russian Military yet. In addition, Viktor's squad is a motorized rifle squad, not special forces. If I do write a perspective with Spetsnaz or any other special forces, I'll probably use that to show off the more advanced Russian equipment and specialized gear. A couple of thing on your list I've already added and somethings I will in the future add, but a lot of what you suggested isn't currently adopted by the Russian Ground Forces. I appreciate your review and the time you put into it though. If you see any major inaccuracies that I write, since you seem knowledgeable, please tell me so that I can fix it.


	5. Chapter 5

Malikov sat in his office alone. He was currently nursing a headache, hoping it would go away before he had to meet with his advisors.

Keeping the Novinka gate a secret was a tiring job. There were fake documents that concealed the true reason so much military equipment was being sent to Novinka, falsified stories of battling cults, and of course the constant and blatant lies that Malikov had to feed the press. None of this came easy.

The press hadn't stopped hounding him since his last press conference. Everywhere he went, the number one question was always about Novinka.

The internet was wild with speculations and insane conspiracies. It didn't help that there were images taken by satellite of the gate in Novinka. Sure they had claimed it was photoshop, they said it was falsified, they censored it as well as they could. It didn't make the photos anyless real.

Yet in spite of all the hassle it caused them, the Special Region was a literal gold mine. Yesterday surveyors had found both oil and rare mineral deposits in the Special Region. It was an untapped land ready to be exploited by Russian corporations.

The problem was, they'd never be able to conceal all of the equipment being sent in and the resources being brought out. There wouldn't be any way to justify moving hundreds of tons of minerals and crude oil out of what they had stated to be an active combat zone. If they wanted to exploit the resources, they'd first have to make it public that Novinka was the site of a gate.

So for the time being the Special Region would remain untapped.

President Malikov took a deep breath and swallowed a pill. There was a lot of work to be done before they'd get any benefits. He hoped it'd be worth it.

* * *

Caelia gripped her head in frustration, the villagers from Elna were useless. Not a single one of them knew what had destroyed their village, saying that they had fled their homes days before. Some claimed it was the gods, but she doubted that. Caelia needed to find the true source of the destruction.

She needed to find the Masked Men.

So far, Caelia had nothing but rumors to go off of. Imperial deserters claimed that the Masked Men had slaughtered them in a large battle, but none of them ever went into detail. All they had said was that the men came from another world with powerful magic. Caelia took everything they told her with a grain of salt, she never trusted an Imperial.

Her heavy armor clinked against her longsword as she walked through the mess of wagons and campfires. It was all she had left. She'd run out of coin a week ago during her search. Caelia used to have a horse, but not any more, she'd sold it to a villager yesterday in exchange for food. Now, in addition to not knowing where to go, she also didn't know how she was going to transport herself.

This had all just been a waste of time and resources. Now she was stranded with a bunch of refugees. Her, a veteran mercenary, stuck with some peasants who'd never even seen a sword. All Caelia could do was shake her head and endure the humiliation.

She had one last thing to do. After that, Caelia would see if she was truly as fucked as she believed herself to be.

Walking far away from the main camp, she approached a small clearing that was lit up by the setting sun. _Let's hope they didn't skimp out on the deal._

"I'm here, with everything as promised."

A tall man came out from the woods wearing a mix of Imperial and custom made armor. He grinned at her with a mouth missing several teeth. Several other men had followed him into the clearing.

"The jewels?"

"Right here," she said holding up a completely full bag. "Five emeralds, taken straight from the cold dead hands of a former lord."

The bandit's grin grew larger as Caelia held up the bag. He walked forward to take the bag from her. In response, Caelia yanked it back.

"Not yet, first my payment."

Looking rather annoyed, the tall man fumbled around in one of his pouches before he pulled out a small item. It seemed to be made of brass and was about half the length of one of Caelia's fingers. Her first sight of an other worldly item.

She stepped forward and handed over the bag, taking her prize in the other hand. Quickly, Caelia tucked it away in one of her pouches. She prepared herself for what would come next.

The bandit peered into the bag and squinted. "Eh? What the fuck is this?! These aren't em-"

He had been too focused on the bag to notice that Caelia had drawn her longsword. A fatal mistake.

The other bandits watched as their leader's head slid off his body.

Caelia was quick to face the other bandits. There were four more of them, each drawing their selected weapon of choice. None of them had anything more than some padding for armor.

One of them gathered his courage. He charged forward, axe in hand, and swung at Caelia's head. It was a crude and no doubt effective move, but it was basic and only worked on inexperienced fighters. Caelia was not inexperienced.

In one continuous movement, she brought her blade up to parry the axe to the side before making a slash into his neck, opening a wide gash in it. The man fell back choking on his blood.

Caelia felt a thud impact her the back plate of her armor. One of the other bandits had tried to stab her in the back with a short sword. She was fortunate that plate armor wasn't easily pierced by swords.

Immediately, Caelia retaliated with a thrust of her own. The blade pierced through the man's padded armor and skewered him in the chest.

Caelia yanked her blade out of the dead man. She could see the remaining two were having second thoughts about fighting her. All they needed was a little shove.

"I'll give you a generous offer. Get the fuck out of here and I won't kill you." Her smile was illuminated by an orange glow given off by the setting sun. "Sound fair?"

That did the trick. The two men immediately started running through the woods.

Caelia took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She always got jittery after a fight. The adrenaline slowly left her body and Caelia was able to stop her fingers from shaking. Fumbling around her pouches for a moment, she pulled out the piece of brass that she had just killed for.

It looked like this wasn't a complete failure after all. She still had no idea where to go and no means of transportation, but at least she had proof that the Masked Men weren't just rumors.

A side effect of this encounter was that Caelia was no longer broke. With the bandit's money she'd be able to afford a warm meal from the Elna villagers. _Mhmm… a warm meal by a campfire sounds just about right._

* * *

The BTR-82A was by no means a quiet vehicle. It was a fantastic machine in many regards, but it was not built for any sort of stealth. Because of this, it was of no surprise when Viktor found the entire camp gathered to watch the BTR drive into their makeshift home.

He sighed as the horde of people ran to where he'd ordered the driver to park. This many people was a serious threat, who knew how many Imperial soldiers were disguised in the crowd. While Viktor severely doubted any hostiles would be capable of harming them while inside the BTR, you couldn't exactly introduce yourself from the inside of an armored vehicle. Viktor knew they'd have to dismount.

"Alright everybody, masks up. I don't think any of them have cameras, but we can't take any risks," he pulled up his balaclava while he spoke. The rest of the squad followed suit. Viktor looked through his periscope once more. "Igor, you pop out of the top hatch with your RPK, be ready to gun down anyone who gets too close."

"Understood, sergeant," he said with a yawn.

"Demian, Alina, you're coming with me outside." They both nodded in confirmation.

"The rest of you open the firing ports and be ready to fire. I hope this will go well, but we have to prepare for everything," Viktor said with a sigh.

Everyone got into position, ready to do as Viktor had told them. Taking a deep breath, Viktor opened the side hatch and stepped outside.

Behind him he could hear the top hatch open and Igor position his RPK. The firing ports on the side all simultaneously opened and the muzzles of several Kalashnikovs pointed out. Viktor opened his language book and looked for the right words.

"I here be friend. Who you leader?" He could only assume that they understood his broken gibberish.

An old man stepped forward, it seemed villages in the Sadera were always led by the elders. He spoke so fast that Viktor could barely keep up, "I am the chief here. Who are you and why have you come?"

"We from Aquilla Hill. We wish information you give." Viktor hopped he wasn't making any major mistakes with his speech.

"Aquilla Hill… you're the men from another world? The men the Imperial soldiers were waiting for?"

It seemed they had a reputation. "Yes. That us."

The elder thought for a moment before talking again, "We can deal with you then. Those soldiers are no friends of ours, Elna is a ruin because of their actions. They forsook the gods and the gods punished them."

Viktor internally grimaced. The man probably didn't know that his squad was responsible for the 'punishment' that the soldiers had endured.

Looking around at the mass of civilians around them, Viktor didn't really want to be negotiating with so many people nearby. "We speak private, yes?"

The old man understood. "Go back to your fires, we have private business to discuss!" he yelled at the surrounding villagers. Slowly, they began to disperse.

Viktor relaxed a bit now that there weren't as many people around. Now it was time to get information. "We ask knowledge for currency," he said, holding up a bag of strange coins that they'd been issued while preparing to leave Oyrol Base.

"Oh? We're going to be need a lot of coin in the future," he muttered to himself. "Very well, ask away."

"Describe city called Bellnahgo, please." The Russian forces knew it was a big city where a significant part of the Imperial army had fled, but that was about it.

Nodding his head, the elder spoke, "It is a large city, very beautiful. Bellnahgo is home to the temple of Hardy. Many go there to pray to her."

"Hardy?"

"The goddess of the underworld. Ruler of hell."

Viktor nodded in understanding. He made a mental note to try and get a book on the local religions for the research teams to study. "Imperial army come through?"

"The Imperial army came through our village days ago, they left a few hundred men in it while the rest of them continued to Bellnahgo. They forced us out of our homes and left us to fend for ourselves. We are much slower than they were so they're probably in Bellnahgo by now."

That only confirmed what aerial reconnaissance had already discovered. There was only one last thing he needed, a map of the Empire. While aerial recon had managed to map out the immediate surrounding area, they didn't have any accurate charts for the rest of Falmart.

When asked, the elder told him to wait while he retrieved it. Several minutes later, the man came back with a large hand drawn map. While probably not completely accurate, it was better than nothing. Viktor took several pictures of it with his phone.

"We thank you. But must go. Need find place to camp for night." He handed over the large sack of coins. When the elder looked inside of the pouch his eyes widened substantially.

"No, please stay. You are so generous, we must let you stay. Besides, I hear Caldus is making a large pot of his famous soup tonight, you don't want to miss out."

Viktor was divided within himself. On one hand, it was probably less safe to stay with them. His fears about hidden soldiers still hadn't subsided. On the other hand, a warm meal would do wonders for moral, especially after such an intense day. Soup did sound far better than field rations.

He decided that they needed the moral boost.

* * *

Pellio Co Sorio looked over his caravan of slaves. He was heading to Imperial Capital after purchasing some slaves for cheap from his source in Knappnai. The recent defeats of the Imperial army had caused banditry to spike and made slaves harder to purchase, driving up the price. Pellio knew it was dangerous to be traveling so far, but the reward would be well worth it.

Besides, his guards could handle anything they came across.

Currently they were waiting for the slaves to rest. While Pellio and his guards rode horses, the slaves were on foot and many of them didn't have shoes. It was a minor inconvenience that they had to stop and wait for them to rest their feet, as much as he wanted to drive them on, damaged slaves sold for far less.

With plenty of time to kill, Pellio wondered about miscellaneous things. He thought about his childhood growing up in Rondel, the city of mages. Pellio hadn't been magically inclined so he was ostracized from the other noble children he grew up with. His only friend had been Tullus, another boy that was poor at casting magic.

He wondered where Tullus was now. The two hadn't spoken to each other in many years, with Tullus shunning Pellio for dealing with the slave trade. Tullus instead chose to join the Imperial army, something Pellio thought was stupid. The army was nothing but a dead end. Trading slaves had made Pellio wealthy.

 _How long do those fucking slaves need to rest for?  
_

Pellio wanted to be at the next city in their destination by sundown. They wouldn't make it if the slaves kept taking forever to rest. He grabbed his whip in one hand and rode over to where they were sitting.

"Get up you lazy fucks!" He cracked the whip in the air. "On your feet, slaves!"

They groaned as they stood up. A couple of them fell down and had to be carried by other slaves.

Suddenly, a loud noise sounded throughout the valley they were situated in. It was similar to a coughing sound, only much louder. Three more coughing noises sounded out.

Four thuds followed the coughes, they came from behind Pellio. Looking back, he was shocked to find that all four of his guards had fallen off of their horses. All of them dead. _What the hell?_

He looked at his local surroundings. Nothing but grass and a few trees. No one was here, so what had killed his men? Suddenly a section of grass stood up. _Not grass, just a man dressed like grass._

Two more men dressed like grass stood up. They all held strange sticks in their hands and were pointing them at Pellio in a threatening manner. _So these are the men from another world._

One of them spoke with an accent so thick he could barely understand him, "Pellio Co Sorio, you come with us."

* * *

Viktor had been right, the soup tasted amazing. There wasn't a single person who didn't like it. Everyone in the squad went to bed with a full stomach that night.

This made Viktor far more relaxed about security. Instead of having a guard shifts throughout the entire night, he instead decided to trust that the villagers were truly genuine in their friendship. Besides, it wasn't as if the villagers would be able to harm them while they slept inside the BTR.

While his comrades slept, Viktor sat on the roof of the BTR in the dark enjoying a cup of some strange tea the villagers had brewed. It tasted far better than the juice Russian forces were given in their field rations.

By now most of the villagers had put out their campfires, only a few dimly glowed in the night. Viktor wouldn't have minded staying with the villagers for a couple more days. These people were a nice relief from the insanity of the Special Region, so far they'd been the only ones who hadn't tried to kill Viktor and his squad.

He'd learned that the villagers were trying to head to Bellnahgo for safety. Viktor thought about warning them about what was going to happen to the city, but decided it wasn't worth it. Bellnahgo would be in Russian hands before they arrived anyways.

He took another sip of his tea.

The Russians weren't the only ones in the Special Region, he wondered if the JSDF had encountered the same problems that his squad had. Maybe the Japanese were facing a less aggressive enemy than the guerrillas the Russians had been fighting, or maybe they were facing an even more difficult enemy in their area of the Special Region.

Viktor's grandfather had fought the Japanese towards the end of the Great Patriotic War. He claimed that the Japanese were ferocious and fanatical fighters, prefering to fight to the death rather than surrender. But that had been seventy four years ago.

From what Viktor understood, the modern Japanese military bore little resemblance to the one that had fought seven decades ago. Instead of an army, it was a self defense force, one that hadn't ever seen modern combat.

They were probably following the American doctrine of securing "hearts and minds" in the local population. Viktor always felt that restricted the military from truly doing its job. While having civilian support was important, a military shouldn't be prevented from doing what is necessary to destroy the enemy simply for the sake of the thoughts of civilians. It was only at actively killing civilians for no justifiable purpose that he drew the line.

Viktor doubted the JSDF would have been willing to execute prisoners or order airstrikes on villages.

His thoughts were interrupted by movement in the dark.

Sighing, he put down his cup of tea and picked up his AK-12. Viktor didn't have his night vision goggles attached to his helmet at the moment, so he pulled out a small flashlight. He climbed down the BTR and clicked on the light.

"Anyone there?" he first said it in Russian, then repeated it in the Saderan's language.

No response.

Viktor heard something move on the other side of the BTR, he moved into investigate. As he turned the corner he was immediately charged at by a figure in armor. Unable to bring his Kalashnikov up in time, the intruder tackled him down.

"Fuck!" he cried out as he hit the ground. Both Viktor's rifle and his flashlight had been knocked out of his grasp, he was unarmed and effectively blind.

The figure brought its fist down onto Viktor's face. He tried to grapple with his opponent, but they were very clearly far superior in terms of hand to hand combat.

The intruder touched his helmet and suddenly leapt off of him for some reason. They backed away from Viktor with their hands up, he still couldn't see who they were in the dim moonlight.

Scrambling for his rifle, Viktor sat himself up and aimed at the person.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he spoke in Russian then, realizing his mistake, he switched to the Saderan's language. "Who you?!" There was no response, only the faint sound of sniffling

It was at this time that one of his ever vigilant squadmates decided to come out of the BTR.

Alina popped out from the top hatch with a flashlight in one hand, rifle in the other. She spotted Viktor's assailant, a crying young woman in plate armor, and then Viktor with a rifle pointed at said crying young woman. She immediately glared at him.

"Viktor, what the fuck did you do?!"

* * *

Alright new chapter! I spent a lot more time going over this one than the previous ones due to the advise I received, so hopefully it turned out well.

Anyways, there's a bunch of reviews since last time so I'll just answer them one at a time.

Korbussite: Thank you very much, I'm glad you like it. I think the JSDF is definitely a lot less willing to commit to actions that maybe be seen as wrong, so having the Russians come in is definitely very different from the Japanese.

Guest: Thanks! I'll definitely keep them coming as long as people enjoy it.

GhostScorch: Thank you! These reviews always give me a lot of motivation to write.

Snapping Turtle: I'm not going to spoil anything, but the Saderans won't be getting off easy like the Japanese let them. I think the JSDF is so lenient because they're exactly what their name says, a self defense force and nothing more. With Russia, they've been fighting conflicts since the Soviet Union fell, from Chechnya to Syria. They will have no problem extracting justice.

Guest (I'm assuming that the 4 guest responses in a row were the same person): I'm glad you think it's interesting and as for interactions with Itami and his squad, you'll just have to wait.

Hell Fury: Sadera will come later in the story and diplomacy is certainly not going to be the first option chosen by Russia. I'm glad you like the story though.

New World Order: Obviously Russian intelligence is gathering information on who to go after, not everyone can be imprisoned or executed due to the need for stability in the region (sort of like what happened with Nazi officials after WW2) but the main perpetrators will be punished. As for nuclear weapons or WMDs, the Russian goal in the region is not to obliterate it and turn it into useless land, it is to exploit it. Nuclear weapons would be overkill and would only bring about American or other major powers' involvements. Thank you for your response though.


	6. Chapter 6

Caelia had done it, she'd found the Masked Men. After sacrificing everything she owned to find the mysterious people Caelia finally was looking right at one. It was everything she'd asked for. There was only one problem.

Caelia had attacked their leader.

Now she was on her knees, both hands bound behind her back, staring down the end of one of their magic staves. Her mouth was gagged while the Masked Men discussed things in their strange language. She only prayed she'd be able to tell her side of the story before they went to execute her.

It was an accident, the result of instinct from years of experience mixed with tiredness. Caelia hoped they'd be merciful, her life depended on it.

The man she'd attacked, their leader, walked up to Caelia and ungagged her. He had a small book out and spoke slowly with a thick accent. "You Imperial soldier?"

She shook her head vehemently. "Never, I am not an Imperial."

He relayed the information in his own language to the others. "Why you attack then?" he asked.

This was her chance. "I-it was an accident! I didn't mean to, I was just tired!"

"Why you looking at…" the man searched for a word in his book, "Iron chariot?"

Caelia hesitated for a moment before responding, "I was looking for you."

He tilted his head to the side. "Me?"

"You, the Masked Men. The ones who had destroyed the Imperial army. You who slaughtered the Imperials with your magic."

He nodded slowly. "Why you want find us?"

"I…" This was the moment she'd been preparing for. "I wish to join you in your fight against the Empire."

The Masked Man looked to his companions and spoke in their foreign tongue, leaving Caelia to wonder what would happen. She needed this and she was willing to sacrifice everything for it.

Finally, he responded to her, "No. We not need."

She blinked twice as she heard the information. Caelia couldn't let this happen. "Please! If you won't take me as a soldier, I'll serve as a slave. I have traveled throughout Falmart, I can gather my own food and never burden you. Please let me help against the Empire."

The man held his black eye, the one she'd given him, and spoke to the others. He turned back to her and asked, "You know Bellnahgo? You know Imperial Capital?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes I know both of them and many more places. I'll do anything, just let me help."

He sighed before he said, "Fine, we let you in. You now auxiliary of Russian Ground Forces." Caelia didn't know what the Russian Ground Forces were, but she assumed it was their army. She'd been accepted.

One of the Masked Men unbound her arms. Immediately Caelia leapt up and hugged their leader, she'd finally gotten what she needed for her wish. Vengeance against the Empire.

The man she was hugging looked a little uneasy so she let go. He cleared his throat before speaking, "One last question. Why you so eager?"

Caelia's mood dampened. "The Empire…" she stopped and cleared her throat. "They attacked my land and… and..."

He nodded in understanding. "Welcome to the Russian Military."

* * *

The remaining trip to Bellnahgo was not far. Viktor knew they'd be there soon and according to their new recruit, Caelia, there weren't any villages in the way.

Their BTR-82A was designed to be able to carry eight people, including the gunner and driver. With the addition of Caelia, they'd run out of seats. For the time being she sat on the metal floor on the BTR as it went over rough terrain. Viktor couldn't imagine it was a comfortable ride.

Despite this, she never complained once. Instead, she'd taken it upon herself to try and learn Russian from Viktor's squad. So far, Caelia was making good progress and was already able to say basic words and phrases. She'd learned the essential things such as hello, thank you, and fuck.

The squad liked Caelia. Alina and Kilment were spearheading her Russian education, with Luka pitching in every once in a while. Igor was trying to use his language book to ask her questions about Falmart while Sergei and Tomas had both tried to expose Caelia to as many modern items as they could. As for Viktor, he knew she'd be an important asset in exploring the Special Region. That and he hoped she'd be able to become their permanent translator soon. Speaking the Saderan language was hard.

As expected, the trip didn't last long. They arrived at Bellnahgo with no problems. Viktor gazed through his periscope at the massive city. It was a sprawling mess of houses surrounded by walls. At its center was a large structure, the Temple of Hardy.

"Command, this is Shapka-213, we have arrived at the city of Bellnahgo. The route has been cleared for other Russian forces. Over."

"Shapka-213, we hear you. Remain at your location until further orders. We're sending reinforcements immediately. Over."

"Understood, command. We'll be waiting for you."

They parked the BTR on a hill overlooking the city and Viktor sat back in his seat. Within a few hours he knew they'd be attacking Bellnahgo, it was best to get sleep when he could.

"Viktor." He looked up at the voice. "I sorry because attack I do," Caelia said to him in very broken Russian. Viktor assumed she was apologizing for what happened last night.

"It's fine. Next time you want to see me, don't give me a black eye." He promptly slouched back down in his seat.

Caelia looked at him questioningly before Alina translated it to her. She chuckled before going back to her language lessons.

* * *

They had arrived at Bellnahgo in good time. Lieutenant Colonel Zolotov stood at the command of his motorized rifle battalion as well as an additional self-propelled howitzer battalion he'd been assigned. Major General Rozovsky had given him one job, take the city by any means necessary.

Zolotov looked at the city as one of his aides listed off information about it. "The city of Bellnahgo, estimated population of 750,000 people."

"How many soldiers?" Zolotov questioned.

"Presumed to be around 30,000 Saderan combatants left over from the battle in addition to militia risen from the city. In total anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 combatants, sir."

"More than a hundred times as many men as we do…" He silently contemplated the issue for a moment before nodding for his aide to continue.

The man cleared his throat. "Reports from GRU operatives suggest that the enemy is preparing to use a form of guerilla warfare and is willing to use the civilian population to blend in. It is also confirmed there are no captured Russian civilians in the area. The heavily urbanized city will present problems for our forces, however we estimate potential casualties to be less than fifty."

"Too many…" Zolotov muttered to himself.

"As a result of the high population in addition to our reconnaissance team reporting the city to be home to a major temple of the local religion, artillery will have to be restricted from firing directly into the city."

The Lieutenant Colonel snapped his head up at that. "And precisely why can't we use our full strength against them?"

The aide stumbled on his words, "W-well, uh, the temple is a cultural location and the massive potential civilian cas-"

He was cut off by Zolotov. "Did you fight in Chechnya?"

"N-no, sir." he muttered out while taking a sudden interest in his boots.

"Of course not, you'd have been just a child then." He paused to look over the city. "My first battle was at Grozny. An utter disaster and one of Russia's worst failures."

The aide tried to speak up, "Sir, I-"

"We went into Grozny over confident and expecting the Chechens to roll over like beaten dogs. Instead, we lost hundreds of soldiers to a force less well equipped than us but determined to fight to the last man." Zolotov sighed deeply. "I will not be making that mistake here."

The aide nodded slowly. "What are your orders then, sir?"

"Give the civilians twenty four hours to evacuate the city and surrender to our forces, after that any who remain will be considered active combatants. As soon as the deadline is up, have artillery and air support bombard the city."

The aide nodded. "Understood, sir."

"If ten thousand of these Roman lookalikes have to die in order to prevent the death of one Russian, then so be it." The aide saluted and went to deliver Zolotov's orders.

* * *

Hundreds of kilograms worth of explosives were being dropped onto Bellnahgo. Yesterday, thousands of civilians had fled the city upon hearing the Russian ultimatum. Viktor himself had helped deliver it.

"Persons who stay in the city will be considered terrorists and bandits and will be destroyed by artillery and aviation. There will be no further negotiations."

It was a harsh ultimatum, requiring civilians leave anything they couldn't carry behind them and flee their homes, but Viktor thought it was fair. The alternatives were to either bombard civilians or risk Russian lives, this option was clearly the best. Still, it was estimated that around half the civilians had refused to evacuate their homes.

What had followed was three days of constant artillery barrages and aerial bombing.

From what Viktor could see from inside his BTR, the city was in ruins. White phosphorus shells had been incredibly effective at burning down the wooden slums that Bellnahgo's south end was comprised of. The stone buildings in the wealthier areas were now blown out husks of what they had previously been. Walls and arches stood where full buildings had once been, Viktor doubted anyone could live there anymore.

The great walls that defended Bellnahgo had been specifically targeted. Artillery made short work of them, reducing entire sections into dust. They couldn't protect Bellnahgo against this threat.

The Temple of Hardy, once a majestic and beautiful building, was now nothing more than rubble. Two days ago a bomb was dropped directly onto it, whether it was by accident or on purpose Viktor didn't know. All he knew was that it certainly could never be repaired.

Caelia had watched the destruction over the past three days in silence. Viktor supposed that this was one way to show off the incredible power of modern weaponry to her. He could only guess at what she thought of it.

Bellnahgo was no longer the city it had been. Viktor knew that the infantry would be moving in to mop up any resistance and secure the city any minute now. They'd been put on standby until the last shells and bombs were dropped.

Despite the utter destruction that had been delivered to Bellnahgo, Viktor knew that they'd still find resistance inside. No matter how well destroyed something was, a determined defender could always find somewhere to endure the destruction. While their defences may be in shambles and thousands may be dead, Viktor was certain they'd still be up for a tough fight.

Caelia was also going to be coming with them. While Viktor initially didn't want her to accompany their assault, she had insisted that she needed to be with them. Viktor wasn't in any mood to argue. He just hopped she didn't get herself or anyone else killed.

"All motor rifle squads, commence the assault! Repeat, all motor rifle squads, commence the assault!" Viktor's radio crackled with his new orders.

"Ready to kill some Roman bastards?!" he asked his squad.

"Yes, sergeant!" they said together.

"Driver, advance onto the city!"

The BTRs rolled forward together. As they approached the ruined walls, Viktor saw arrows come down on their vehicle from an unknown source. The arrows did nothing to the reinforced armor, but he knew they'd have to be careful once they dismounted.

Viktor could see the ruined buildings get closer as they approached Bellnahgo's city streets. They wouldn't be able to risk staying inside the BTR once they got there, infantry was needed on the ground to prevent against ambushes.

"Alright! When we dismount, go to either side of the road and follow the BTR as it moves! Do not expose yourself, move from cover to cover and keep a lookout for the enemy!"

The armored vehicle suddenly lurched to a stop.

"Dismount!" The hatches on the BTR opened up and Viktor's squad began to head into the open. "What are you waiting for?! Move! Move! Move!"

Caelia looked disorientated as the squad left the BTR. There wasn't any time to explain what was going on, Viktor dragged her out of the vehicle.

"Come on, come on!" Viktor headed towards the side of the street with Caelia being pulled along with him.

Gunfire immediately started as men opened fire on the Saderan soldiers coming from hiding spots in the ruins of buildings. Viktor had to let Caelia go in order to bring his rifle up. He fired a two round burst into an Imperial archer.

"Come on, keep moving! Follow the BTR!" he shouted at the Russians who'd taken cover.

Viktor ran forwards to the edge of a building. An arrow whizzed past his cover half a second later.

Breathing in, he popped his head out from behind the structure and spotted a man with a crossbow reloading. Two bullets to the chest put an end to him.

Viktor let his squad catch up to him as they followed the BTRs moving down the street. Caelia was blindly following them, disorientated by the gunfire and explosions.

They approached an intersection. Leading from the front, Viktor took position against the corner of a building that lead into the adjoining road. He could hear someone moving.

Acting on instincts and adrenaline, Viktor turned the corner and took aim. Two blurry figures met his view. He fired a burst into each of them.

Moments later his vision cleared revealing an elderly couple .

 _Fuck…_

There wasn't any time to feel guilty, he had to keep moving.

The BTRs continued on their path towards the ruins of the Temple of Hardy. Viktor followed with his squad providing cover.

The ruins came into sight. Immediately, a wave of Saderan soldiers came from the nearby buildings, they charged at close range and engaged another squad in melee combat.

Viktor ran to Demian. "Get to cover and watch for any incoming men! Understand?!"

"Yes, sergeant!"

"Kilment, Alina, Caelia come with me! The rest of you follow Demian!"

Viktor led his group to the engaged squad. They got to close range then began shooting Imperials that were attacking Russian soldiers in hand to hand combat.

Advancing into the melee, Viktor put two rounds into the side of a Saderan grappling with a Russian soldier. He moved forward and shot another enemy charging at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Viktor could see Caelia finally snapping out of her daze. She was in her element here, using her large sword to cleave through Imperials like butter. She cut through four men in the time it took Viktor to shoot his two.

Viktor fired a burst into the last Imperial, a young man that had tried to stab Caelia in the back, then he turned to the other squad. He grabbed one of the soldiers they'd saved. "Tell your squad leader to keep advancing and watch the buildings!"

The man nodded and Viktor ran back to Demian with his group. He was about to tell him to advance when several arrows flew past their heads.

"Get to cover!"

More arrows followed and plinked against the pieces of rubble Viktor had hid himself behind. He looked around for the source. Viktor spotted at least ten men on the upper balcony of a partially intact building.

"Up there!" He pointed at the Imperials. "Give me suppressive fire!"

Igor immediately opened up with his RPK-74M. A stream of bullet flew at the balcony, forcing the men there to take cover from his fire. Seeing this, Viktor stood. "Caelia, Alina with me!"

The two women followed him as he ran towards the building's bottom floor. Kicking open the door, the three of them cleared the bottom floor. Viktor headed for the stairs rifle pointed up.

Emerging on the second floor, Viktor was immediately charged by one of the Imperials. He put two bullets into the man's torso but the Imperial didn't stop. Viktor found himself against a wall as the bleeding man tried to stab him with a short sword.

Caelia came to his rescue. She thrusted her longsword into the back of Viktor's assailant, killing the man. Meanwhile, Alina sprayed down the remaining Imperials with her Kalashnikov.

Viktor let out a sigh of relief and radioed back to Demian, "Building is clear! Cease fire!"

The sound of Igor's RPK firing halted and bullets stopped impacting the house. Signalling Alina and Caelia, Viktor headed out of the building to rejoin the rest of the squad.

The Russian forces finally reached their objective at the Temple of Hardy.

Due to the large amount of rubble, the BTRs had to remain behind while the infantry secured the temple.

There was very little in terms of a standing structure remaining. A few pillars were intact and part of the wall was still standing. Beyond that, the regal temple that had once stood was gone.

Viktor had his squad take defensive positions along with several other squads while they awaited further orders. He rubbed his face, feeling the dirt and grime on it. Viktor's squad had taken no casualties so far and the other squads had only a few minor wounds.

This had gone much better than he thought it'd go. They managed to take their objective in record time despite fierce enemy resistance.

He thought back to the elderly couple. Viktor had been in such a hurry that he didn't have time to feel regret, now it came at him in full force. _Shooting the elderly…_

He shook his head. They gave the civilians ample enough time to evacuate, they were told what would happen if they didn't leave. It wasn't his fault, the Saderans probably left them there on purpose, to use them as human shields. Viktor did nothing wrong, at least that's what he told himself.

Suddenly a loud crunch drew his attention away from his thoughts. Two more loud crunches followed the initial one. _Is something collapsing?_

"Holy fuck!" Viktor snapped his head towards Kilment's voice.

"It's a giant!" Alina shouted.

Viktor saw what they were yelling about. A massive humanoid creature broke through a line of nearby houses. It was outfitted with metal armor and carried a giant club. The monster stomped towards them.

"Start shooting the fucking thing!" Viktor snapped the Russian soldiers out of their amazement.

Hundreds of bullets immediately started flying at the giant. The monster roared at them and kept stomping forward, ignoring the multiple bullets flying at it. Regular Imperial soldiers followed in the path of the ogre, charging forward. Viktor knew they wouldn't last long with the current strategy.

"Everyone aim at the humans! Kilment, Sergei get over here!"

Small arms fire was redirected away from the giant and towards the regular soldiers, cutting down their charge. The monster kept coming.

Kilment and Sergei made it to Viktor's position. "I want you to put a rocket right into that bastard's face! Understand?!" he yelled into Kilment's face.

"Yes, sergeant!" Kilment replied as he unslung his RPG. He loaded a HEAT round into the launcher while Sergei checked the surrounding area. The giant was getting close enough that a few soldiers had to abandon their position and run.

"Clear to fire!" Sergei yelled.

"Firing!" Kilment shouted.

The HEAT round flew through the air at an incredible speed. It missed the ogre's head and instead impacted its shoulder, tearing the limb off.

"Fuck! Reload!" Sergei handed another rocket to Kilment who loaded it. The monster seemed to be extremely mad and it started to rush at the grenadier team.

"Clear to fire!" Sergei repeated with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Firing!" Kilment let loose the rocket, sending it flying towards the giant's face.

It didn't miss.

Impacting its forehead, the giant fell backwards onto the ground. The upper portion of the head was obliterated by the RPG, killing it instantly. Remaining Imperial soldiers watched their greatest weapon die.

The effect was immediate. Soldiers threw down their swords and spears, raising their hands into the air. The battle was over.

Viktor let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

Bam, extra chapter. Really I'd already had this one written and I was able to get a friend to help edit it which sped up the process tremendously.

Anyways, lots of reviews in the short amount of time since Chapter 5 was done.

Kyleliberty: In my opinion, adding that sort of stuff ruins the flow, but if enough people want it I'll add it in.

hellisonfire345: Glad you like it! This won't be abandoned as long as people still enjoy it. As for the China question, I'm not going to reveal anything solid, but China and Russia did sign the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation in 2001, a treaty set to last for 20 years.

Avro 683 Lancaster: I'm not going to spoil what the Americans end up doing.

Feerzo 14: You wanted bloodshed, here it is. Thanks for the review.

Blood Business: Russian corporations and subsequent colonization will come in due time.

tamerlan110: Thank you for reviewing.


	7. Chapter 7

They'd been sitting in their checkpoint for an entire day now.

When the Imperial forces surrendered, the Temple of Hardy had been converted into a command post for Russian forces due to its central location in the city. Construction had started immediately as the ruins of the temple were cleared and replaced by temporary structures to house Russian forces. Viktor and his squad had been assigned the task of guarding the northern checkpoint.

Bellnahgo was captured in less than a day, though the destruction would be visible for weeks at very least. Already Russian supplies were being brought in to begin reconstruction of the city. The citizens who had fled were allowed into the ruins where they helped begin the rebuilding process.

In some areas of the city, particularly the eastern part, Imperial resistance continued. Several squads had been sent to clear out the city blocks, but it was a slow process requiring houses to be cleared one by one. Viktor was glad his squad didn't get assigned to that task.

It had quickly become evident that there weren't enough Russian personnel in the city to completely quell resistance. Due to this problem, command had ordered the creation of the Bellnahgo People's Militia. The militia was to be recruited of locals, particularly those dissatisfied with the Empire such as slaves, and given the minimal training required to put down resistance. Most of the militia would be using Saderan weaponry, with only a few trusted individuals allowed to carry firearms.

Although he saw the necessity of such a thing, Viktor didn't like allowing those who'd previously been suppressed to suddenly hold power over their former masters. He knew that soon enough they'd be getting reports of former slave owners and wealthy nobles being executed for minor or even completely falsified crimes. Still, as long as the city was kept under firm Russian control, it would all be fine.

Viktor sighed and surveyed the area in front of him from behind his sandbag bunker. The streets had been cleared of rubble to allow for vehicles to come through, but the buildings remained destroyed. They'd probably have to tear down a large part of the city in order to rebuild.

From behind one of the ruined buildings, a woman came walking out. Viktor had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Her skin was blue with yellow markings and she carried what looked to be a large scythe over her shoulder, but strangest thing about her was the set of dragon wings on her back.

Viktor turned to Luka, who was sitting next to him. "You see that thing?"

"What the hell?" he was equally as confused.

"God damn..." He rubbed his eyes to make sure she was real. "Caelia! Get the fuck over here!"

Caelia, who could now understand basic commands in Russian, stood herself up and jogged over to the bunker. "Yes?"

"What that thing?" Viktor spoke Saderan with his language book in order to avoid confusion.

Caelia looked out the sandbag structure at the dragon woman. She then muttered out a word, "Apostle…"

Viktor flipped through the pages in his book, there weren't any mentions of what an apostle was. The woman was getting closer to them and he needed answers. "What?"

"Servants of the gods, demigods in their own right. They are very dangerous."

Viktor nodded before turning to the rest of his squad, "Proceed with caution and don't do anything to aggravate her. Igor, keep your gun trained just incase."

Seeing that the woman was almost too them, Viktor vaulted over the sandbag barrier and approached her. He kept his AK-12 down as a sign he didn't wish to fight. Then, Viktor addressed her, "This restricted place. Who you? Why you here?"

The woman grinned. "I am Giselle, servant of Her Highness, Hardy." Viktor shuddered at the way she spoke. "And I'm here because you have defiled Her Highness' temple."

Viktor started backing away from Giselle. "Prepare to fire!" he yelled in Russian. He increased his pace, aiming his rifle at the woman's head. Making it to the sandbags, Viktor hopped onto the other side while keeping his rifle trained on the apostle.

"Lay down your weapons and I might spare you," she gave her ultimatum.

Viktor refused it. "Open fire!"

Immediately, hundreds of bullets were tossed at Giselle by the Russians. Instead of dropping to the ground dead, she started walking forward again, deflecting bullets with her scythe. Viktor watched as bullet wounds that did hit stitched together in her body. They weren't doing anything to her.

"Fucking run!" he shouted at his squad. They took off in different directions, trying to find cover in order to evade the apostle. Viktor found himself behind the remains of what used to be a house's wall.

Confident in her power, Giselle kept her walking pace as she slowly advanced on the squad. Her arrogance was clear with every stride she took, no mortal could survive her wrath. She'd clearly never met a Russian before.

Viktor watched as Kilment and Sergei fired a rocket from their RPG at her. The rocket, traveling at a speed of 300 meters per second, was struck out of the air by her scythe. Unfortunately for Giselle, it exploded, causing her to be knocked onto the ground and forcing the scythe out of her hands.

Taking the initiative, Viktor pulled the pin on one of his RGN hand grenades and threw it at the downed apostle. Flying through the air, it landed next to Giselle's leg and detonated on impact.

Viktor peaked out from his cover and saw that her leg had been torn off by the explosive power, preventing her from getting up. Luka got the same idea and threw another grenade at her, blowing off Giselle's left arm.

With no time to lose, he ran out of his cover at Giselle, firing a burst into her good arm to prevent her from picking up the scythe. The other squad members came out from their cover while Viktor placed his boot onto Giselle's chest.

She looked up at him. "W-what was that?" Viktor could hear the fear in her voice. _Good, hopefully she'll be more cooperative now._

"That was power of Russian weapon. You stay down or I make you stay down." The threat seemed to quell any thoughts of attacking Viktor.

"Viktor!" Caelia came up to him speaking Russian. "Apostle useful, people respect, make trust you. Bad idea to kill."

He looked up at her before looking back down at the fearful woman. "Demian, did we report this to command yet?"

"No, sergeant. Want me to contact them now?"

"Hold off on that for now." Viktor thought about it a little. Having someone that was respected by the local population could get them far in future conflicts. It also meant that resistance forces in Bellnahgo could be significantly reduced due to having support from one of Hardy's servants.

He made his decision, "Caelia, give the apostle an offer. She comes with us and supports our cause, in exchange we won't blow off all her limbs and lock her in a box."

She quickly relayed the offer to Giselle. The apostle nodded immediately. "I accept." There was a tremble in her voice.

Viktor removed his boot from her chest. "Betray us and I not give second chance. Understand?"

Giselle could only nod.

* * *

Pellio's face was covered by some sort of bag as he was dragged along. He didn't know where he was and none of the men who'd taken him would speak.

The sound of metal clanging reached his ears. He was promptly shoved forward. Stumbling around, one of the Masked Men forced him into a seat of some sort and bound him to it. Pellio could hear the men walk away as he struggled with his restraints.

"Hello?!" he called out.

There was no response. He continued to struggle against the restraints until he heard what Pellio assumed to be the door into whatever room he was in open. The bag on his head was yanked off and light flooded his vision.

Pellio blinked several times until his eyes adjusted to the light. There was a man in some sort of uniform wearing a fur hat sitting across a table from him. Two other men, dressed similarly to the soldiers who'd captured him, stood by a metal door.

"Pellio Co Sorio, it's nice to meet you," the man spoke with a faint accent.

Pellio merely stared at the man with a blank expression.

"My name is Cheslav Boykov, I've heard quite a bit about you." Cheslav had a reassuring smile as he spoke.

Deciding it would be a good idea to get on the man's good side, Pellio greeted him, "It's good to meet you, sir."

Cheslav's smile grew. "You seem rather uncomfortable. I'm very sorry for the conditions you endured during your transport here." He spoke to the other men in their foreign language and the two soldiers undid his restraints.

"Thank you, I'm just glad I finally am able to speak with someone as kind as you. Though I do wonder why you've brought me here." Pellio needed to get the full picture as soon as he could.

"Right to business then." Cheslav pulled out a notebook. "I'm in need of the location of a few people."

"Well I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but…"

"They were captured as slaves during the initial attack into my world through Aquilla Hill."

"Ahh…" _So that's why they need me._

"Would you happen to have heard of anything relevant to this?"

"Well… I may have heard of a few rumors, but first I'll need a few things in return." Pellio was no stranger to negotiation, he considered himself quite good at the art of talking.

"Anything you need," Cheslav replied.

"I'd like safe passage to either Sadera or Italica, a fresh set of clothes, and around fifty thousand Denari as compensation for my lose." It was a high price, Pellio knew the counter deal would significantly lower it.

Cheslav smiled once more. "Done," he said simply.

Pellio suppressed his shock. The man must have been an absolute amature at negotiating. To accept such a high price was insane. Perhaps he could exploit the man's poor skill even further.

"Oh, and one of your iron chariots. It'll make the ride quicker since you took my horse."

"Done," he responded without hesitation.

Pellio was so busy mentally celebrating that he almost missed Cheslav speaking, "Now what have you heard?"

"Hmm? Oh yes." Pellio brought forward the rumors he'd heard in the slave market. "I believe I remember hearing that the slaves from another world were to be taken directly to the Imperial Capital. Prince Zorzal wanted to have them for himself and the Emperor allowed it."

"What will happen to them there?"

"Well, typically the men will be sold off at the slave market and the women…" Pellio reminded himself that this man probably cared for the slaves he sought. "Prince Zorzal likes to keep female slaves for his own personal use."

Cheslav sat stone faced throughout Pellio's explanation. "Is that all?"

"That's all I know from rumors." Pellio couldn't wait to come out of this rich. His own iron chariot and fifty thousand denari, he would be the richest man in Italica.

"Excellent." Cheslav replied. The men at the door unlocked it and pushed it open for Pellio.

Pellio stood up and walked around the table. Cheslav's hand was extended and Pellio eagerly shook it. He began to walk towards the door already planning what he'd do when he got to Italica. He didn't see that Cheslav had drawn his MP-443 Grach.

Pellio had been dead the moment he entered that room. He just didn't know it.

* * *

Viktor stood at attention as Lieutenant Colonel Zolotov approached him. He had been ordered to report to the man's office for further orders. Viktor didn't know if he was glad or terrified to be getting a new task.

Part of that fear was the possibility of being reprimanded for his recruiting two auxiliary soldiers without getting the ok first. He hadn't received permission before recruiting Caelia, he only told command once it had been done, then he did it again with Giselle. So far, none of his superior officers had mentioned it or even questioned why he had two locals following his squad, but Viktor didn't know if that luck would run out or not.

Viktor snapped a salute to the Lieutenant Colonel. "Sir, here as requested."

Zolotov looked him up and down. His gaze made Viktor want to squirm under it. "Sergeant Statnik." Viktor could feel the punishment coming. "In recognition of your bravery and exemplary service during your reconnaissance mission and at the Siege of Bellnahgo, you are hereby promoted to the rank of senior sergeant."

Quietly, Viktor let out a sigh of relief. You didn't get promoted right before a punishment.

"Due to the current circumstances, you will remain in command of Shapka-213. Additionally, you will be _permitted_ torecruit additional auxiliary soldiers, such as the two women you saw fit to enlist already." Viktor had to restrain himself from flinching at the Lieutenant Colonel's tone.

"Thank you, sir," he managed to say without letting his nervousness bleed through.

"As for your mission. You and Shapka-213 are to head south, towards the city of Rondel. Reports say this city has little Imperial presence and mostly manages its own affairs, it is also filled with people we've identified as magic users. As such, you are to peacefully pass through the city and move onto the city of Italica."

"Sir, what are is our primary objective?"

"First and foremost, you are to investigate Italica's political situation. It lies on an important crossroad that needs to be secured in order to advance onto the Imperial Capital. Report back if the rulers are cooperative or if military force is necessary."

"Understood, sir."

"Your secondary objective is the investigation of mineral resources in the area. This is not a major concern, so do not avert from the main objective unless you deem it necessary."

"Yes, sir."

"Good luck, Senior Sergeant Statnik. Dismissed."

Viktor gave another salute before heading back to his squad. That had gone far better than he'd thought it would.

* * *

"Your majesty." The messenger knelt before Emperor Molt and the Imperial Senate. He wore the armor of a Dragon Rider, only it was scorched and covered in dirt.

"Speak."

"Bellnahgo has fallen. I flew day and night from there to reach here, the Masked Men did a direct attack on the city, it didn't last a day." Shouts of outrage came from the senators, particularly the pro-war side.

"We need to recruit more men!" one senator shouted.

"No more slaughter, we must negotiate!" it came from the otherside of the room.

"You'll have us surrender?!"

"Better than dead!"

The shouting match had begun, as it often did, between the opposing factions in the senate. Molt touched his hand to his forehead trying to ease his growing headache. He knew the remnants of the Imperial army wouldn't last, he just didn't expect it to happen to quickly. Molt lifted his hand to silence the senate. "Let the messenger continue."

The Dragon Rider hesitated before continuing, "They used their magic and great iron beasts to bombard the city into rubble. Most of us died without even seeing the enemy." He paused and took a deep breath. "Then they sent their iron chariots into the destroyed city. We tried to resist, but it was futile. Their magic was beyond anything we had seen, we had to surrender."

"You are a coward!" Senator Podawan shouted out. "It was not their magic that won them the battle, it was our men's cowardice!" That served to restart the shouting match between the senators.

Attacked from two sides by enemies that wielded superior magic and fighting prowess. This was truly a dark spot for the Empire. Molt knew there was a difference between the enemy at Alnus and the enemy at Aquilla, he needed to exploit that.

Scouts had reported back to him the difference in banners, at Aquilla it was a red, blue, and white tricolor while at Alnus it was a simple red dot in the center of a white background. Beyond that, they wore different clothing which gave way to their distinctive names, the Green People and the Masked Men.

They also had a difference in strategy. While the Green People had sat at Alnus, sending only a few scouting parties out, the Masked Men had actively advanced on and seized one of the Empire's major cities. His daughter, Pina Co Lada, was currently investigating the matter.

Shouting continued while Molt was deep in thought.

"If we fight, we die! It is as simple as that!"

"If we don't fight, we will become slaves!"

"Better live as slaves than lay in graves!"

Senator Podawan once more stood up. "Are you all foolish cowards?!" The room became silent.

"This Empire had lasted for hundreds of years against thousands of threats and enemies. Never once in the past did we surrender, never once did we fail! Have you all forgotten the lessons of the Arctic War?" he addressed the entire senate.

The senators looked at him in silence. "Our army was beaten, our spirits broken, we were ready to accept chains and slavery, but we persisted! And through our persistence this great Empire managed to defeat the barbarians once and for all."

Emperor Molt looked up from his thoughts. Podawan continued, "We find ourselves in a similar position, my fellow senators. Beaten and broken, but not defeated. Let us follow the legacy of our forefathers and continue on until victory has been achieved!" The senate room erupted into cheers. Molt could even spot several of the pro-peace senators cheering.

It seemed they would fight after all.

* * *

I've had very little work to do recently for some reason, so here's another chapter.

There's a lot of reviews and not all of them are questions, so I'm just going to respond to the ones that I can respond to, but thank you all for reviewing. I read all of them even if I'm not replying to them here.

jimmin190: I guarantee at least a chapter a week, but sometimes I'll have enough spare time to write more than that.

hellisonfire345: I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Feerzo 14: That scene was added to show the chaos and confusion of urban warfare, even against medieval soldiers, I'm glad you liked it.

NlaEid: Cannot confirm anything, but I enjoy reading people's speculations.

History Channel: Again, no confirmation, but history does indeed repeat itself.

Guest: You're a mind reader... I had already written Giselle's scene when I saw your comment. But to answer your question further, I don't currently plan to have any gods or goddesses directly intervene. Their interference will come in the form of their servants and apostles.

GhostScorch: Another mind reader! Emperor Molt Sol Augustus is the current emperor, but he might end up being replaced by one of his children.


	8. Chapter 8

When Viktor returned to his squad, he found them sitting next to their BTR with multiple empty ration packs around them. Typical Russian IRPs or individual ration packs supplied food for three meals, it was not normal to eat the entire pack in one sitting let alone more than three entire IRPs. Viktor watched as Giselle finished with one IRP and immediately opened another pack.

She didn't even spend the time to use the portable heater, she just tore open the packaging and dug in with her fingers. Viktor couldn't help but chuckle at the behavior. He knew that Russian food was good, but these weren't exactly five star meals.

"How many of those has she had?" he questioned Demian.

"That's her fifth one with no sign of slowing down."

Giselle looked up from her meal at Viktor. Her face had a little guilt on it as she noticed him look at all the packaging she'd gone through. She opened her mouth, still stuffed with food, to explain herself.

Viktor stopped her before she could speak, "It fine. We get more."

Giselle nodded slowly and continued to eat. Viktor wondered how many rubles he'd have to bribe the quartermaster with in order to get enough extra rations to feed Giselle's appetite. It wouldn't be cheap.

As Viktor had found out, the way to Giselle's heart was food. She'd seemingly forgotten all about her limbs being blown off the day before. He supposed that she was easy to please and even easier to gain forgiveness from. That or she was waiting to take revenge, Viktor didn't know which.

He could see Luka studying her with a notepad in hand. In a world of magic and monsters, Giselle was had bewildered the medic. When they were healing Giselle after the fight, Luka had insisted that simply sticking her limbs together like Giselle told them to wouldn't work. He was promptly proven wrong.

Since then he watched her like a hawk, writing down all strange activity. Viktor didn't know if he'd been ordered to by someone else or if it was just to sate his medical curiosity. Either way, Giselle clearly didn't care.

"We've got a new mission," he addressed the squad. "Command is sending us through a city called Rondel, where we'll peacefully pass through, then move onto a place called Italica."

"Another recon mission, sergeant?" Demian asked.

"They want us to figure out the politics in Italica, so we're probably going to have to talk with the locals. In addition we have a side task of discovering mineral deposits, we'll have to ask around in Rondel I suppose," he explained to them.

Alina chirped up, "Where's Italica?"

Viktor unfolded a map from his pocket. "From what this thing says, it's fairly far south. We'll stop at Rondel for a night and rest up before continuing on." He looked around at the squad, noticing not everyone was present. "Eh, where's Caelia and Igor?"

Sergei jerked his thumb towards the BTR. "Inside playing Durak, she's getting good at it."

Sighing, Viktor walked over to the vehicle and opened the side hatch. Crouched on the floor, Igor was holding an impressive amount of cards in his hand, a clear sign he was losing, while Caelia on the other hand was down to three cards.

"I hope you're not betting on that." Viktor grinned at Igor.

"There'll be a holiday in my street too," the large man muttered out an old Russian proverb.

"Whatever you say." Viktor turned to Caelia. "I need you for a second, you can beat Igor later." She understood and put down the cards, following Viktor out of the BTR.

Caelia's Russian had been advancing very far, probably due to necessity. She was receiving constant tutoring from the squad and Viktor made a point to try and only speak to her in Russian when possible. Apparently she already knew several different languages, learning new tongues probably came easy to her.

"What do you know of the city of Italica?"

She considered the question for a few seconds before replying, "It is rule by child countess, Myui maybe. I not know for sure. Rule by Clan Formal. Italica is surround by farmland, best in Empire. It also big trade path, make big market."

Viktor nodded as she spoke. He understood her Russian to a fair degree, though there was definitely improvement needed. _So Italica's ruled by a child then, that might make negotiating access through it easier._

"Thank you, this'll be useful when we make it there." Viktor suddenly grinned. "Oh, and please tell Giselle to use a spoon while eating, it's kind of gross watching her shovel it in with her fingers."

Caelia translated Viktor's message to Giselle. The blue woman stopped eating at glared at Viktor. One of her wings immediately hit him in the back, sending him into the ground. Viktor ended up face first in the mud. _Probably deserved that._

* * *

"God damn Japs!"

President Dirrel, leader of the United States, was angry. When Japan had entered into their Special Region, they declared it apart of Japan which allowed them to mobilize forces into it. Doing so should have allowed American troops into the region, as per the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.

So far no Americans had entered the gate. At first it was a strategic reason, America was fighting several wars in the Middle East and adding another war across the world onto that would be difficult to sell. There was also the matter of wishing to allow Japanese forces to make the initial mistakes before putting American troops at risk. Ideally, Japanese forces would meet significant resistance or other complications and request American support, giving Dirrel a good justification for sending troops.

That hadn't happened yet.

Instead, Japanese forces had nothing but victory after victory. With absolutely zero casualties so far, Japan was no where close to requesting American help. When Dirrel had asked Prime Minister Motoi for permission to send American troops into the Special Region, he'd been denied.

Dirrel had of course brought up the treaty, but Motoi claimed that since the Special Region wasn't a security threat to Japan nor was it in the Far East as the treaty specified, American forces were not justified to be stationed in the area. It was all bullshit of course, but imposing sanctions or taking other diplomatic actions to force Japan into submitting would not be popular with people. Dirrel couldn't risk it with the next elections coming up soon.

Instead they had to reach an agreement. It was decided that American special forces and military advisors would be sent to assist Japanese SDF units. Additional supplies would be provided to Japan to help them continue their campaign and in exchange research gained from the region would be shared with America. Corporations would be allowed in to mine the region, but they'd have to compete with Japanese companies as well.

In the end, it wasn't what Dirrel had hoped for, but America needed to play it safe for now. Nationalistic sentiment was rising in Japan and there was even talk of trying to repeal Article VI of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. As long as they stayed low in this, they might be able to reap the rewards of the Special Region without causing a diplomatic incident with Japan.

* * *

One additional passenger in a BTR made for a tight fit, but two additional passengers made it impossible to breath. Giselle, with her wings and massive scythe, simply didn't fit inside the vehicle. Fortunately, the BTR-82A was designed so that soldiers could ride on top of it.

Viktor opened the top hatch of the armored vehicle to check on her. Giselle didn't spend all of her time sitting on top of the BTR, she instead flew through the air using her dragon-like wings. It was a fascinating sight for Viktor.

He quickly climbed back into the BTR before she could notice him staring.

"It's only a matter of time before we find the Japanese." Sergei was discussing with Tomas.

"I hear their officers carry swords into battle like samurai," Demian pitched in.

Tomas sighed. "They did that in the Great Patriotic War, not now. Japanese officers are just like our officers."

"And here I was hoping to take home a samurai sword," Sergei joked.

Viktor settled down in his seat and looked back towards his squad. Caelia was listening to everything being said intently.

"What is Japanese?" she asked them in Russian.

Igor answered her, "Well, they're another nation from beyond the gate."

"They entered Falmart on a place called Alnus Hill," Tomas spoke up.

"The Green People?" Caelia questioned.

Igor shrugged. "That's your name for them I guess."

The talk about finding the Japanese worried Viktor. Major General Rozovsky had warned them about Japanese interference with their mission, he'd made it very clear that they should avoid contact. Viktor wasn't sure they'd be able to avoid contact with JSDF forces should they run into each other, the BTR would obviously stand out and there was a good chance they'd be spotted.

Even if the squad removed Russian markings and wore their masks, that was only good enough to have plausible deniability for the government, anyone with half a brain would know they were Russian forces. Interaction with the JSDF would be unavoidable, he hoped his superiors knew that.

"I don't suppose any of you know Japanese?" Viktor only knew how to say hello, hopefully his squadmates knew more.

Silence fell over the BTR as people shook their heads no. Viktor sighed, maybe the Japanese would know the Saderan language and they could communicate through that. It was better than nothing.

Demian sheepishly spoke up, "Well, ehh… I studied Japanese a little."

"Why'd you do that?" Alina asked. "They don't even offer that in most schools."

"I err…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I like Japanese uhhh... art."

Viktor tilted his head at him. "Japanese art?"

"Well specifically-"

Kilment cut him short, "What Demian means to say is that he's a massive weeb."

The other squad members burst out in laughter. Demian's face went red. He muttered something about going to talk with Giselle before climbing out the top hatch.

"So that's why he never lets us near his computer…" Alina thought out loud.

Viktor grinned. As funny as it was that Demian was an anime fan, it was actually quite useful. Hopefully Demian could actually communicate in Japanese, should they ever need it.

* * *

Legatus Tullus never heard what happened after he gave up Pellio's name.

In the days that passed, Tullus was moved to a nicer cell. Instead of cold stone walls, he sat in a wooden room with advanced plumbing and he plenty of windows. Books on the Russians were left in his room, translated for him, which allowed him to learn more about his captors. Most astonishingly was something they called a computer, a device that played magical projections of scenes and allowed him to connect to the "internet."

The Russians were far more advanced than the Empire could ever be. Tullus had taken it upon himself to learn the Russian language, in order to better communicate and hopefully engage in future negotiations. Cheslav had been more than willing to provide the necessary tools for him to do so.

Now Tullus just wondered what they intended to do with him. While he was nobility, his family wasn't very wealthy and relied mostly on his position as a legatus to get by. That ruled out ransom. Emperor Molt probably didn't value his command enough to do a prisoner exchange. That left slavery, but as far as he knew the Russians didn't practice that.

There was simply no reason to be keeping him alive.

Tullus sighed as he ate his breakfast. His room was comfortable, but they didn't let him out for anything. The only human interaction he had was from the guard outside who gave him his daily meals. He missed his family, yet Cheslav said he couldn't bring them here.

The door to his room suddenly opened.

Cheslav walked in, followed by a man in a fine green uniform and a peaked cap. Tullus analyzed the new man with scrutiny. "Legatus Tullus, this is Major General Rozovsky, the commander of Russian forces here." Cheslav introduced the man.

Tullus was familiar with Russian greetings. He held out his hand to shake Rozovsky's hand and was met by a firm grip. "It's an honor to meet you, Legatus."

Tullus understood a little of what he'd said, something about being good to meet. "It good meet too."

"He's here to make you an offer," Cheslav said while smiling.

Rozovsky started speaking, it was too fast for Tullus to comprehend.

"Russian forces have recently captured Bellnahgo," Cheslav translated. "Currently it is being directly controlled by Russian authority, we'd like to adjust that."

Tullus nodded slowly.

"If stability is to be ensured, we need a capable Saderan leader to take charge. We'd like to ask you if you'll take the position."

Tullus hesitated, working for the enemy was treason. By doing this he'd become a traitor to Sadera and would be executed should he ever try to return to his home. Then again, the Empire was a sinking ship. There was no possible way they'd be able to defeat the Russians, maybe doing this would allow him to save what remained of the Empire.

He cleared his throat. "I agree."

* * *

Rondel was a beautiful sight. Compared to Bellnahgo, the city was far cleaner and much more aesthetically pleasing. Even before the bombardment, Bellnahgo couldn't hold a candle to the magnificence that was Rondel. Viktor was glad they wouldn't be bombing this city.

"It's a city built with magic, but the mages who created it were terrible city planners, don't expect to arrive anywhere without getting lost first," Caelia rattled off in Saderan.

Viktor sighed. "We'll keep that in mind when we go through," he responded in Russian.

The BTR continued down its path, passing by several shocked travelers. Opening up the top hatch, Viktor looked for Giselle. She was standing on the BTR's roof, unaffected by the constant bumps and jerks, with her scythe held out proudly. Looking to Viktor she spoke, "Like what you see?"

"It a beautiful city." He said with his improving knowledge of Saderan.

"I was referring to myself." She grinned as Viktor became uncomfortable.

He cleared his throat and moved on, "When we enter city, we find place to stay. Know good place?"

"There are a few inns that provide cheaper prices for apostles such as myself, we should head to one of those."

Viktor nodded. "Good, we have lot of money, but cheaper is best."

Below him, an argument had broken out over if Vodka was truly the best drink. Viktor didn't wish to get involved in something like that so he climbed onto the roof. It was getting stuffy inside the BTR anyways.

"You serve goddess Hardy, yes?" He decided to learn more about Giselle.

She nodded in confirmation.

"Is Hardy fine with you serve us?" Viktor didn't expect a real answer from this question.

Giselle looked Viktor in the eyes. "Hardy supports the belief that the strongest should rule and the weak fail. You are currently the strong here, so I support you."

"You fight with because goddess told you to, not because we blew you to pieces?"

"I saw your power when you took Bellnahgo, my fight with you was just an upclose test. You are strong, but I was going easy." Her smile had turned into a glare.

"Sure, you were going easy when Kilment's RPG knocked your ass to the ground…" Viktor muttered in Russian. Clearly she was just making excuses, his squad had beaten her fair and square.

"You did, however, surpass my expectations greatly. Hardy told me about your strength, that is why I serve." Giselle's speech had stopped its usual playful tone.

Viktor shook his head in disbelief. _Going easy on us, sure…_ He remembered the fear she had once Viktor placed his boot on her chest. That couldn't have been fake. _Right?_

Deciding it was best to change the subject, Viktor asked her another question, "You clearly not human, what species are you?"

"I'm draconian, the dragon folk." She lost her serious tone.

"Dragon folk. They like real dragon?"

"We're mostly unrelated, but I've always had a certain affinity for regular dragons," she revealed.

"Ahh…" Viktor didn't really understand what that meant. _Does she keep dragons as pets?_

The magic city grew closer and Viktor knew they'd arrive at the gates soon enough. He couldn't stay on top of the BTR, he was needed in the commander's seat. He started climbing down into the BTR, much to either Giselle's disappointment or relief. Viktor couldn't really tell.

* * *

Chapter 8 hoorah! I've been a little sick recently so it's probably going to be another week until the next chapter (no extra chapters this time) but after I get over this cold I'll be back to normal. Anyways, thanks for reading the story is getting a lot more traction than I thought it would.

hellisonfire345: Thanks for the support, I don't want to reveal to much but I can say that Pina is going to be following her original path to Italica.

NlaEid: Alright, I'll be honest that was definitely plot armor. I originally had it in that she killed a Russian soldier in the process, but then I realized she'd never be allowed to go along with them if that happened so the plot armor went in. Thanks for giving criticism, I need it.

GhostScorch: Not going to reveal too much, but I can say with certainty that open war between America or Japan and Russia is not going to happen. There's just too much to risk on Earth for that to happen.

Guest Million: Interesting idea, we'll see where the story goes.

KapitanCyka: We'll see what happens to Itami, also CADIA STANDS!

Janne Rolfe Jaladoni: I don't think it's a big secret that the Russians and JSDF are going to meet at some point, thanks for reviewing.

darkwolf54326: It'll be mentioned a few times, but mostly the soldiers themselves aren't educated enough about Rome to make more than visual and minor comparisons.

I've only answered the reviews that I am capable of answering, but I do read all reviews and appreciate any feedback you give, thank you for your time.


	9. Chapter 9

People gaped as the BTR rolled through Rondel's northern gate. Although many observed in amazement, no one tried to stop the machine as it entered the city. Viktor looked through his periscope, watching for threats.

The streets were filled with people dressed in robes and carrying staffs. If reports were true, they were all magic users. _Magic… who would have thought._ In Bellnahgo, Viktor and his squad hadn't encountered any magic besides Giselle's incredible healing abilities. Here it looked as if they'd be getting a lot of exposure to it.

An explosion of blue fire erupted up ahead. Moving his periscope, Viktor tracked the source. It was an old man holding his staff in the air.

"Be on the lookout for threats, any one of these mages could end up sending the magic equivalent of a rocket at us," he said to his squad.

In response, they opened up the firing ports and connected their weapons to them.

"Is that truly magic, sergeant?" Demian asked.

"Reports indicate so."

"Sure as hell looks like it…" Igor muttered.

Another burst of magic sprouted out from the horde of people and caused Viktor to jump

slightly. He didn't like this. Gradually, mages started to outnumber normal people as they drove further into the city. He kept the periscope on the swivel as they moved through the streets.

Caelia had been right, the streets were designed in a way that made little sense. Roads intersected each other at odd angles, sharp turns were at every corner, and there was no concept of a central road or any sort of main pathway. Viktor could tell his driver was getting frustrated.

"Hey Caelia, Giselle mentioned a few inns that would give us discounted prices, know where any of those are?" he asked in Russian.

She nodded. "Keep heading into city. There is inn just up ahead."

Viktor rubbed his face and nodded at the driver to continue forward. He had no idea how much the city's population knew of Russian forces. While they'd been told Rondel had a minimal Imperial presence, all it took was one Saderan loyalist to stab them in the back. Viktor just hoped no one figured out what they'd done to Bellnahgo while they were here.

The inn they approached was designed like all the other buildings in the city, the only thing that differentiated it was the sign on the front. Viktor couldn't read Saderan, but he assumed it meant "inn" or something along those lines.

His periscope was suddenly blocked by Giselle's face, causing Viktor to jerk back in surprise. Shaking his head, he addressed the squad, "Alright, we're here. Dismount and keep on the lookout for any Imperials trying to mess with us. Remember, masks up!"

The BTR's side hatches opened and they dismounted quickly. Spectators watched them from a distance, a few even wrote down notes. They weren't doing any harm, so Viktor decided to ignore them.

Inside, the inn had a bar on the bottom floor and presumably the rooms upstairs. There were a few people sitting at the tables scattered around the bar area. Two cat-human hybrids drew Demian's gaze, a group of old men huddled around a paper, and a brown haired woman sat in the corner copying down a book.

Giselle walked up to the innkeeper and started talking. "I need rooms for twelve people, your best ones. Be quick, I assume you know who I am."

"A-ah, of course, your holiness! Right away!" the human man stuttered out.

Viktor could see Giselle grinning as the man scampered away. She seemed to get a kick out of messing with people.

Out of the corner of his eye, Viktor could see Demian still staring at the cat girls. He went up and smacked him on the back of his helmet. "Don't get any ideas."

"I've got no idea what you're talking about, sergeant," he said while maintaining his stare.

Viktor sighed and walked over to Caelia. She looked up and greeted him, "Viktor."

"We're not going to have to deal with any Imperial loyalists will we?" His paranoia was starting to get to him.

She shook her head. "Rondel not loyal to Empire, many want Rondel be independant."

Viktor clapped Caelia on the shoulder. "Thank god for that."

The innkeeper came running out of a back room with a set of keys. He brushed himself off before walking up to Giselle. "Right this way, your holiness."

She grinned and followed the man. Viktor called the others together to head after them. Their room was spacious, but it was essentially large attic with eleven beds thrown into it. Giselle, on the other hand, got her own private room with a large bed and several decorations. She was obviously being favored here.

Viktor decided that a strong drink would be in order. Unfortunately, they hadn't been allowed to bring vodka with them so he'd have to settle for whatever the locals had. He doubted it would be anywhere as good as vodka.

Kilment and Igor decided to join him while the others dropped into their beds like sacks of potatoes. Demian also came down, but Viktor doubted it was for a drink.

Sitting down at the bar, Viktor dropped a few of the strange golden coins onto the counter. "Strong drink," he ordered.

The innkeeper took a long look at the coins before pointing at them and asking, "Suwani?"

Viktor simply shrugged in response.

He quickly shoved the coins into a box underneath the counter and smiled. The innkeeper then walked into the backroom and came out several minutes later with a large keg. Kilment and Igor both looked at him.

"What the fuck did you order?" Igor asked.

"I ehh…" Viktor didn't truly know.

"Guess we've got drinks for the whole inn," Kilment said while grinning.

The innkeeper tapped the keg while Viktor started laughing. They pulled down their masks so they could drink. It was going to be a fun night.

* * *

"This is Atlant-012, we've secured a stronghold in the Imperial Capital. Over."

"Copy that, Atlant-012. Have you encountered any resistance? Over."

"We've had to scare off one of the locals gangs, but it's nothing major. Over."

"Understood, stay hidden until further notice. If possible attempt to establish a spy network among the locals. Over."

"Copy that, command. Will do. Over."

Captain Taras put down the long range radio. He and his fellow operatives had arrived in the red light district of Sadera after being paradropped nearby. The ultimate goal here was to assert the location of Russian citizens being held captive in the capital.

So far they hadn't managed to gain very much information. All Taras' team had confirmed was that male Russians were being held at the slave market while female Russians were held in the Imperial Palace, information they'd already known. They still had to mark out specific positions and guard locations for a potential rescue operation.

Several thunks suddenly impacted the building they'd set up their stronghold in. Taras grabbed his suppressed AK-15, a variant of the AK-12 chambered in 7.62 cartridges. The other two operatives in his squad and the two additional squads he had command of all responded similarly.

Taras could hear yelling outside. Slowly he took a peak from the boarded up windows at the source of the noise.

At least forty men and other creatures were gathered around their stronghold. They'd fired crossbow bolts into the building which was probably the cause of the thunk noise Taras had heard. One large demi-human was running up to their door with a warhammer in hand.

"Group of forty targets outside. Take up firing positions and prepare to eliminate the targets on my word," he whispered out to the others.

They silently rushed to gaps in wall that they'd carved out for this specific purpose. The demi-human began to slam its hammer into the door. Taras could hear it buckle under the power.

Everyone was in position and had sighted their targets. "Execute," he barely whispered the word, yet everyone opened fire at once.

Instantly all of the men holding crossbows dropped dead spurts of blood coming from their heads. The gang members stopped and looked around for the source of death.

Soon after, men began dropping to the ground.

Taras sighted a man running forward, sword raised. Half a second later, the man was dead.

Some sort of goblin tried to run from the battle. Taras' bullet stopped his retreat.

Taras could hear a man, their commander possibly, was shouting orders in panic. His men weren't listening, instead they were running away. That did them little good as bullet rained down on their backs.

Taras decided to put an end to the commander's futile attempts at organization. The man didn't even see what killed him.

The last of the targets had been eliminated. Taras gave the order to stand down.

Contrary to popular belief, suppressors don't reduce a gun's sound to next to nothing. They merely dampen the sound, so that instead of waking up the entire city with their gunfire, they probably just woke up the red light district. It was for this reason that as soon as the shooting stopped, a number of people went to investigate.

Taras ordered his men to stay quiet inside the stronghold while he observed the citizens. At first it was only a few beggars who spotted the bodies and began looting them. That didn't last long and soon after the gang bosses had learned what happened.

With his rifle aimed at their heads, Taras observed the bosses discuss something. He assumed they wanted to investigate what happened. Taras knew that they could only hold off so many attacks before ammunition began to run low. Resupply was not an option so deep into enemy territory.

The operatives would just have to wait and hope that nothing came of it.

* * *

"Kilment you fucking bastard!" Igor stood up from his stool stumbling a little.

"Fuck you Igor!" Kilment took a drunken swing at the larger man.

The blow impacted his face, causing him to stumble backwards into the stool he'd just been sitting on. Due to Igor's large size, the stool smashed apart under his weight. Both men instantly forgot what they'd been fighting about and burst out laughing.

Viktor could see the innkeeper writing something down, probably an additional bill for them. It didn't matter, Viktor apparently was rich.

He spotted Demian sitting alone staring at the two cat eared girls. With nothing better to do, Viktor brought over two cups for them to share. He sat down and shoved one cup into Demian's face.

"Drink," he ordered.

Demian took a small sip. "How long are we staying here?"

"Just the night, we'll leave tomorrow morning." Viktor knew where this was going.

"You said we could recruit auxiliary soldiers, yeah?" Viktor could see the hope rising in Demian.

He nodded slowly.

"Well… what if we recruit some additional help from those two over there." Viktor didn't need to look where he was pointing to know who Demian wanted to recruit.

"What help can they give us? Giselle fills in any combat support we need and Caelia has good enough knowledge about Falmart to suit our needs."

Demian slumped down in his seat and Viktor thought that was the end of it. Evidently it was not. Sitting up in his seat, Demian came up with a new plan. "You said we're here to look for resources, yes?"

"Among other things, yes…"

"Well, what if they know something about that?" Demian's smile was growing with every second.

Viktor sighed. "Do you even know if they have that information? Have you even talked to them?"

All he got in response was Demian slumping back down in his seat.

"Alright, I'll give you one chance here. Go over there and find out if they have anything potentially useful we could use."

Panic flared up in Demian. "What?! I don't even know the language well enough!"

"Good luck." Viktor grinned and handed him his language book.

Demian nervously took the book and shuffled his way over to the cat-eared girls. He started off with the one phrase everyone had memorized, "H-hello, how are you?"

They just looked at him with an annoyed look on their faces.

Viktor could tell Demian desperately wanted to fall back. Unfortunately, it was too late to back out for Demian, he had to continue. "Do you know…" He flipped through his book. "Where mineral be? We pay for information."

One of the girls began to open her mouth when she was interrupted by an outburst from across the room.

"Minerals?! I study minerals! I can help!"

Viktor directed his gaze towards the source of said outburst. It was the woman who'd been copying a book down. She now stood with a frantic expression and wide eyes staring at Demian.

"Well… uhh…" Demian flipped through his book frantically.

The woman dashed across the room in record time and grabbed him by the collar. "You're paying to find minerals?!"

Viktor could see Demian's mind shut down. He resorted to the one thing he knew how to say, "H-hello, h-how are you?"

Undeterred, the woman started a rant, "I've been copying that magic encyclopedia for days! Do you have any idea how much effort it takes to do that?! I've had to slow down with my right hand hurting and I don't know if I'll be able to finish to meet next month's bills!"

She stopped to take a few frantic breathes. "If you're paying to find minerals I can finally continue my work while not worrying about money! No one around here funds mineral magic and it's extremely expensive! Please hire me!"

As funny as it was to watch Demian panic, Viktor knew he had to step in. Pulling Demian out of the woman's grip, he stepped forward to face her. "You have knowledge of mineral?"

"Yes! Have you been listening at all?! I study min-"

Viktor interrupted her before she could begin another rant, "Alright, we hire you. You come with us to look for minerals."

She took a step back and brushed off herself before smiling. "Of course, if you're ok with me. I'm Arpeggio," she said it as if she hadn't been begging them to hire her a few seconds ago.

Viktor just shook his head and turned to Demian. "Looks like you did find someone with information we needed. Just not the right someone."

The man just slouched down in despair. The cat girls probably weren't into him anyways.

* * *

Alright, I'm mostly better now so here's a chapter that I wrote while unable to move in bed.

hellisonfire345: Thanks, I'm mostly over my cold now so more chapters coming soon.

jimmin190: The diplomatic path Japan went through in the original plot is not the same path Russia will go through, that's all I can say.

carlluigipogi: I have it planned for next chapter to be the one they meet the JSDF. As for allies or enemies, all I can say is that they won't directly fight each other on any major scale.

GhostScorch: Thank you. The Japanese and Russian are probably going to meet next chapter so that's something to look forward to.

anaspautina: I'll continue it for as long as people are interested. And I don't want to spoil anything but Giselle and Rory have some interesting interactions coming up.

Nicolas: Thank you, I'm going to follow the original very loosely and eventually probably completely deviate from it.

As always, I do read all comments, but some I can't really respond to so thank you for all reviews.


	10. Chapter 10

"Viktor."

Viktor groaned and kept his eyes firmly shut. Whatever the problem was, it wasn't worth getting up. He just wished his headache would go away.

"Viktor, get up."

He groaned again and shut his eyes tighter.

"Viktor, get up!"

With a deep sigh, Viktor gradually opened his eyes. Whoever wanted him up was insistent. "The fuck do you want?" he muttered in Russian.

Whoever was there didn't respond.

Viktor sighed again and lifted his head from the bed he was lying on, his body protesting every movement. He wasn't in the inn's attic that was for sure. Instead Viktor found himself in a large room. _I didn't get my own room…_

"Finally awake, you idiot." Viktor snapped his head to the person who was speaking. It was Giselle with a smile on her face.

"What the fuck happened?" He quickly realized his mistake and switched to Saderan. "What happen?"

Her smile widened.

Viktor suddenly had a panic attack as he realized the implications of where he was. "What you do?!"

"Relax, you fell asleep at the bar last night so picked you up. I didn't want to wake any of the others, so I brought you here. Nothing happened," she explained with a laugh.

With his tired mind, Viktor could hardly understand half of what she'd said, but it seemed like he was in the clear. He needed to be more careful when he got drunk.

"Thank you?" Viktor suddenly remembered his drinking companions. "What happen to others?"

"Demian went up to bed, Igor and Kilment slept at the bar."

"Not bring Igor and Kilment up? Only I?" Something here wasn't right.

Giselle's smile returned. "You're just special."

Viktor shivered and chose to ignore the comment. Patting himself down, it seemed that Giselle had fortunately chosen to leave all his gear on him. That was probably why his body ached, sleeping with body armor on was never comfortable. His rifle was lying next to him on the floor, untampered with.

Grabbing the gun, Viktor stepped outside Giselle's room. It seemed the rest of his squad was also getting up. Sergei walked down the steps that led to the attic.

"Good morning, sergeant. Get some good sleep?"

"Barely…" Viktor muttered as he walked down to the bottom floor of the inn.

Igor and Kilment were passed out over the bar counter. The innkeeper was giving them a nasty glare as Viktor came down. Grabbing both of them by the collars, Viktor yanked them out of their seats to wake them up.

"The fuck was that for?" Igor grumbled.

"We're leaving, get up."

He let them stumble to their feet and walked out the door. Upon opening the door, he was greeted by a brown haired woman with some sort of bag filled with stuff. Arpeggio if he remembered correctly. _Right, I hired her…_

"So, where are we going? When do we leave?" Her energy never seemed to die.

"Get in iron chariot and be quiet." He pointed at the BTR while holding his head with his other hand. The headache wasn't going away.

Viktor didn't wait for her to acknowledge his command, he just walked to the BTR and opened it up. Settling down in his seat, he took a deep sigh. Today wasn't going to be a fun day, he could feel it in his bones.

* * *

Bellnahgo was unrecognizable to Tullus. The wood and stone structures were being replaced by large metal and concrete ones, slaves no longer stood at street corners waiting to be sold, and most noticeably the Temple of Hardy had been completely replaced by a building bearing the Russian flag.

It was in this building that Tullus was sworn into office. Legatus Tullus was no more. He was now President Tullus Co Creseces, leader of the Republic of Bellnahgo, a federal subject of Russia.

Coming in, there had been much work to do. Imperial resistance, while minor, still plagued the city and many people were without homes due to the destruction caused by Russian forces.

To compensate for this, Tullus asked for more supplies to build housing and reconstruct the city, he was granted it. He also expanded the Bellnahgo People's Militia to form a reasonable policing force. More extensive training was given to them and proper uniforms were created to distinguish them from Imperial forces.

His efforts had been so far successful. The Russian "Krushchyovka" housing wasn't very eye catching, but the large capacity and cheap construction costs they boasted made them very appealing. Besides, they were equipped with electricity and indoor plumbing, two things none of the citizens had ever experienced before.

As a result of the Bellnahgo People's Militia, Imperial resistance had all but stopped. Though their methods were harsh, with hundreds of suspected loyalists being locked away, they were extremely effective. Because of them, the real Russian forces were able to sit back and relax.

The peace and stability brought by the Russians was an effective tool for swaying citizens to their side. Hunger relief, electricity, running water, housing, and an influx of wealth into the city made citizens start to prefer Russian rule over Imperial rule, even if it had come at the cost of thousands of lives.

Most notably, the former slaves were now equal citizens to everyone else. Old masters were driven out of their places of power and very quickly slaves capitalized on the situation while others grieved for their losses. They snatched up the vacuum left by dead merchants and craftsmen. Now former slaves ran the businesses while others worked for them.

In all, the city was changing beyond recognition and Tullus was driving it further down that path.

* * *

They were lost.

By all means, Viktor's squad should have arrived at Italica by now, but something was wrong and now they didn't know where they were. Maybe their map was faulty, maybe they took a wrong turn, Viktor didn't know what had happened.

Caelia was of no help either. She couldn't recognize where they were, only that they weren't on the main road. This had forced them to spend the better part of their day essentially going in circles.

They were out of radio range too, which meant if something went wrong they were truly fucked. Night was already falling and they'd have to make camp soon.

Viktor muttered out a swear. They'd successfully achieved nothing.

Not wanting to set up in the open, Viktor ordered their driver to head for a small bunch of trees. It would provide cover from dragons or wyverns or whatever the Empire used for aerial recon.

Viktor's squad dismounted. There wasn't all that much to set up, the squad slept on or inside the BTR making tents pointless. All they needed to do was take their IRPs and set up the small stoves that came with them.

"How the fuck did we get lost so easily…" Viktor wondered out loud.

Luka looked up from his stove. "None of our aircraft have gone this far south. The maps we're using are a result of limited ground recon mixed with local maps. It doesn't make for the most accurate maps."

"A major city like Italica can't be that hard to find though…" Alina complained.

"I'm sure we'll find it tomorrow. Just get some sleep." Viktor yawned.

They finished up their ration packs, Giselle finishing her third one, before heading to sleep. Viktor assigned watches so that at least one person would be awake at all times.

It was when the sun was just coming up that Viktor heard it. A loud thumping noise echoing across the land. _Helicopters._

He sat up from his position on the top of the BTR. There was another noise too. It wasn't the sound of any machine, it was music. _Wagner?_

The rest of the squad was soon awake. Sergei was the first to spot the source of the noises. Several helicopters were flying in front of the rising sun, heading towards a large plume of smoke.

"Those aren't Russian helicopters," Igor muttered.

Tomas looked at them through his rifle's scope. "It's the Japanese."

That was bad. Viktor's orders were to avoid contact with the JSDF if possible. If his squad was spotted it could end very badly for them.

"Everyone down! We can't let them see us!" The squad clambered to follow Viktor's orders.

With their thick plant cover, Viktor hoped they'd be invisible to the helicopters while inside their patch of trees. As far as he knew, the government still hadn't made the Novinka gate public. It would be very hard to explain their appearance should the Japanese find them.

Sergei muttered a prayer, Viktor silently joined him.

The first sounds of gunfire reached Viktor's ears minutes later. Soon after, explosions followed. Viktor couldn't see what was happening, but the more and more smoke began to rise. _They're not here for us, they're here for Italica._

It was only around ten minutes later that he stopped hearing the sounds of battle. As quickly as it started, the gunfire and explosions stopped. _They must have taken the city._

Something wasn't right. Bellnahgo has taken hours to crack, yet they finished Italica in thirty minutes? _Maybe they didn't have to face the same guerilla tactics we did._ It could have also been that Italica was just smaller.

This presented a new problem. Viktor's mission was to investigate Italica, he couldn't do that if JSDF soldiers were occupying the city. He needed a new plan.

"Alright, get comfortable because we're not moving until we can be certain JSDF forces have left or we can find a way out of this place without being spotted." Viktor could hear his squad audibly groan when he said that. This was going to take a long time.

* * *

"President Malikov." Several cameras flashed as the president turned to face his next question. "What is your response to the Japanese reports about civilian casualties potentially caused by the JSDF in the Special Region. Will Russia be taking any diplomatic action?"

 _If only you knew._ He smiled before responding, "It is the official belief of the Russian government that Japanese forces are doing what is necessary to ensure their country's safety. No diplomatic action is necessary and thus it will not be taken. Next question."

"How successful has the suppression of the terror cult in Novinka been? Will civilians be able to return to the area anytime soon?" a female reporter asked.

"Russian forces have bravely been fighting these terrorists with great success. However, it is the case that these extremists have resorted to guerilla tactics that will require significant time to deal with. All civilians have been successfully evacuated and provided with adequate housing, their safety is our highest priority." Malikov made his statement without revealing the falsehood behind it.

Another reporter stood. "Does the Russian government have any involvement with the recent disappearance of several journalists investigating Novinka?"

Malikov sighed, this is where it turned ugly. "Russian officials have no knowledge or involvement with the disappearances, however police reports indicate they strayed too far into the Novinka exclusion zone and were attacked by terrorists. Next question."

"What do you say to the documents released last Friday by the United States indicating that Russian forces were not in Novinka to fight terror groups, but instead for other purposes."

Malikov looked the reporter directly in the eye. "Have you read those documents?"

The reporter was clearly unprepared for this and fumbled his words. "I-I've read the nonclassified ones."

"I have read those documents, in them they reveal no specific evidence, no facts. Just assumptions, allegations, and conclusions based on the allegations, nothing more. If there was something specific or concrete, we could discuss that, but I've read none of that in the documents." Malikov had already had his answer before the reporter had finished her question, he'd prepared for everything.

Still, they couldn't keep the gate a secret forever.

"Next question."

* * *

The helicopters had left about an hour ago. Viktor had personally watched them as they flew back to what he presumed was the JSDF's main base. Despite this, he didn't want to move out yet.

Viktor's new plan was to wait until nightfall then do a quick observation of Italica's state before heading home and reporting their findings. With Caelia's knowledge, Viktor had managed to pin down where Italica's location was using the smoke they'd sighted.

"Sergeant! I see three JSDF vehicles on the road!" Tomas shouted out from his position on top of a small ridge. "Two trucks and one LAV!"

 _Fuck._ Viktor pulled out his binoculars. Tomas was right, three JSDF vehicles sped down the road. He signalled for the squad to take up firing positions. Everyone went prone, hiding themselves among the greenery and aiming their weapons at the Japanese. Sergei and Kilment prepared their RPG, adjusting the sights to be able to hit their target.

"Don't fucking fire unless I give the order! Understand?!" Viktor shouted at them. Everyone was tense here and the last thing he wanted was to cause a skirmish with the Japanese.

Their BTR was thankfully hidden by a small indent in the ground, making it so only the very top of its turret was visible from the road. Both driver and gunner were inside, ready to spring into action.

Viktor suddenly spotted Giselle and Arpeggio still standing straight up on a ridge with little concern for hiding themselves. Keeping his head and body low, he ran over to the two and yanked them onto the ground. "You fucking morons! Get down!"

Both looked startled by Viktor's tone, but they followed his command. He heard Giselle mutter something about being more gentle next time. Viktor returned to his prone position and trained his Kalashnikov on the Japanese.

Tomas shouted out to him, "Mounted units moving in from the east!"

Viktor immediately shifted his view to the east. He could see at least twenty, maybe thirty, women in armor riding directly at the JSDF vehicles. They carried a banner with a rose on it above their heads.

"Luka, Alina, Demian, shift aim towards the mounted units!" Viktor was becoming less sure how well they'd do if things went hot.

Refocusing his attention, Viktor watched as the JSDF stopped within two hundred meters of the Russian's position and allowed the knights to approach them. A few words were exchanged before the white haired one drew her sword on a JSDF driver. The other knights followed suit and lowered their lances.

"Steady now…" Viktor whispered. He had to be quiet with the enemy so close. "Don't fire unless I order."

One of the JSDF soldiers stepped out of his vehicle and approached the knights, without a weapon. _What the fuck is he doing?_ Several more words were exchanged and the man was slapped in the face. _Why aren't they retaliating?_

"Steady…"

Suddenly the vehicles started reversing, they turned around and took off in the other direction, fleeing the area. _They left a man behind._

"What the fuck is wrong with these Japanese pricks…?" Kilment quietly wondered.

"Sergeant, are we just going to let those bastards take the Japanese man?" Alina asked Viktor.

"I uhh..." He honestly didn't know what to do. Viktor knew the Imperials didn't treat their prisoners kindly, but he had specific orders not to contact the Japanese.

"We can't leave them!" Demian protested with a sharp whisper.

Viktor shook his head. "Caelia, what's the standard procedure for enemy soldiers captured by the Imperial army?"

"Prisoner if important are ransomed. If not important, they be executed or enslaved," she spoke quietly due to her experience with hiding from the enemy.

"We can't take that risk…" Luka muttered.

 _He's right. Consequences be damned, we can't let this happen._ Viktor took a deep breath. He pulled his mask up before suddenly standing up with his rifle raised. The rest of the squad followed suit.

"HALT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs in Saderan. The knights looked towards him.

Sprinting forward, he and his squad crossed the 200 meter gap in less than a minute, keeping their rifles ready. The knights chose to observe them as they ran out of cover. Viktor could hear the BTR rumble behind them as the driver moved to follow.

He signalled his squad to spread out when they got near the female knights. The BTR came up behind them with its main gun trained at the center of the mass of horses. Viktor could see the JSDF soldier had an uneasy smile on his face as he raised both hands in the air.

"Demian, tell that man to get his ass over here!" He couldn't risk letting the man get caught in the crossfire if something went wrong.

Demian nodded. "Koko ni kite!"

The Japanese soldier slowly backed away from the knights and made his way over to Viktor's squad.

"Priestess of Hardy, who are these men?! Why do you stand in our way?!" the white haired woman yelled to Giselle.

Giselle didn't get to respond before Caelia stepped forward. "They are the Masked Men, you Imperial scum! They are a hundred times more powerful than you will ever be!"

"You threaten us, mercenary?" The blonde one glared at Caelia. "Do you know who we are?!"

Viktor flicked off the safety on his Kalashnikov. He could see the others do the same while Arpeggio brought out some sort of necklace with beads on it.

Caelia unsheathed her sword. "You Imperials are all the same! Arrogant scumbags!"

The blonde one reared up her horse, clearly preparing to charge. Viktor couldn't let that happen.

With one accurate shot, he killed the blonde one's horse, causing her to go tumbling to the ground. Her comrades looked shocked by the gunshot.

Viktor took the opportunity to make his demands, "Drop weapons! Get off horse!"

As predicted, they chose not to follow his demands. Fortunately though, they didn't conduct the typical Imperial strategy of charging straight into them.

Instead, the blonde one was pulled up onto the white haired knight's horse and they rode around the men. The knights took off down the road, going straight towards where Viktor knew Italica was.

His whole squad let out a collective sigh of relief.

Things weren't all good though. Once again, Viktor had a problem. He'd just picked up a soldier who's squad had abandoned him, he had no idea what to do.

It was at this time the Japanese soldier decided to open his mouth, "Dare desu ka?" Viktor looked to Demian.

"He asked who we are."

Viktor sighed. "Tell him that's not important."

* * *

Chapter 10! I can't believe I've gotten so much support for this story. When I started I expected it to be mostly buried, but you guys are the best.

BattleUnit3: Thank you for the review, Russian settlers will start coming in but only once the government announces they have a gate.

Blood Business: Arpeggio vs Lelei contest is definitely happening.

Alarick07: Thank you, the driver and gunner for the BTR were made anonymous because honestly I was lazy and didn't want to create new characters for people that weren't going to have much action in the story, but as the plot progresses I may give them more stuff and give them characters.

anaspautina: I can say one thing only, Russia will not just be leaving the capital after a single raid.

Nicolas: Thank you, I appreciate the reviews.

Feerzo 14: Thanks, I might end up doing a JSDF perspective, but it's not currently planned out yet.

History Channel: I might have them give a little bit of Russian history for the intimidation factor.

GhostScorch: Thank you, more interaction between JSDF and Russia next chapter.

I think I was actually able to respond to everyone's reviews this time. Thanks for reading, please review!


	11. Chapter 11

"He keeps asking if we're Russians," Demian translated their Japanese passenger's questions.

"Tell him to stop god damn questioning us about our origins, he's not getting an answer."

Viktor was getting annoyed with the man, now known as First Lieutenant Itami Yoji. He'd already made one mistake by bringing Itami onboard, he couldn't make another by confirming Itami's suspicions about them being Russian. Even if it was obvious, they couldn't admit to it.

Yoji seemed to be dissatisfied with the answer, but he stopped asking about it regardless. Instead he came up with a new question. "He wants to know what we're going to do with him."

Now that was the problem he'd been struggling with ever since he'd picked Itami up.

Bringing him back to Oryol Base would only result in his imprisonment and possible death, the two things that Viktor had just violated his orders to save him from. Viktor knew that command would be wary about Itami seeing as he was a Japanese officer. If said officer also knew where their main base was located and the size of Russian operations in the region, Itami would never see the light of day again. Viktor couldn't bring him to Oryol Base.

The other option was to let him go, an extremely risky and potentially career ending offense for Viktor. At the same time as it was dangerous, it was also the choice Viktor was currently leaning towards. He had made a gut choice to save Itami and now he couldn't throw away that effort because the other option was safer. Viktor just needed to grow the balls to make that decision final.

Their radio suddenly crackled to life. _What the hell? We've been out of radio range for kilometers._ Viktor turned his head towards the BTR radio.

Tinkering with it was Arpeggio, her hand outstretched with some sort of blue glow coming from it. Quickly, Viktor moved over to the radio. "What you do to that?"

"I noticed it wasn't working and I was bored, so I used my magic to try and fix it. Is it working now?" she said with a smile.

"What the fuck…" he muttered in Russian. Whatever she'd done had extended the radio's range and would allow Viktor to contact command on what the fuck he should do with Itami.

Relief flooded through him. "Thank very much… Thank so much…"

Arpeggio turned red and muttered an excuse about checking on Giselle on the roof. She promptly scurried away from him.

It didn't matter to Viktor, he had an important call to make.

"Command, this is Shapka-213, do you read? Repeat, this is Shapka-213, do you read? Over."

There was a bit of static, but not as much as Viktor would expect. "This is command, we read you Shapka-213. Do you have something to report? Over."

"We have recently come into contact with the JSDF despite our best efforts. After a brief engagement with Imperial forces, we rescued one JSDF officer. We are unaware of how to proceed. Over."

A brief silence followed. "Uh… Copy that, Shapka-213. Please await further instructions. Over."

Viktor slouched back in his seat. This was the deciding point on Itami's fate.

The squad settled in beside the road, playing cards and cooking meals. Waiting for high command was always a lengthy process. It took four hours before they got a response.

"Shapka-213, do you read? Over."

"We read you command. Over."

"We have received orders directly from President Malikov."

Viktor nearly choked in surprise. What had he gotten himself into?

"You are to conduct a meeting with the officer's unit and return him to them. Masks are unnecessary and Russian markings are to no longer be obscured, you are authorized to reveal that you are Russian forces of the 16th Motor Rifle Brigade. Conduct this meeting, then return to base. The President will be providing you with commendations upon your return. Over."

"I-uh… Copy that, command. Will do. Over."

Viktor let out a breath he'd been holding. Orders from the president himself, now this was something he couldn't fuck up on. At least it meant Itami would be going home.

"Does this mean that the Novinka gate is being revealed?" Alina was quick to think beyond the current situation.

"Maybe…" Viktor said unsure.

"It has to be, we wouldn't be informing them who we are if this wasn't happening!" Kilment said in excitement.

"Does that mean we finally get to have some leave time back home?" Luka chirped up.

"I can finally visit my grandfather again…" Igor muttered.

"My mother will be so happy to see me again!" Sergei became excited.

Viktor raised his hands in the air. "Calm down, we don't know anything yet, so don't get your hopes up. We've got a job right now."

Itami was babbling something in Japanese. Demian translated, "He wants to know what all the excitement is about?"

"Tell him that-" Viktor had an idea. "You know what, just let me handle this."

He walked up to Itami and looked him the eye. "You speak Saderan?"

"Yes," Itami replied.

Viktor pulled down his mask, revealing his face. "I am Senior Sergeant Viktor Statnik of the 16th…" He paused unable to find a suitable translation. "Motostrelkovaya Brigada. In serve to Russian Federation."

Itami chuckled a little. "So eh... you are Russian after all," he spoke with better Saderan than Viktor, almost fluent.

"We supposed to bring you back to your unit. You know where we go for that?"

"Well, the thing about that… they sort of just left me here. I don't know where they went. But, we can go back to Italica! I'm sure they'll be waiting for us there!" He gave a sheepish grin.

"JSDF occupy Italica, yes?" Viktor was worried about entering a potentially dangerous city.

"Hmm… Well no, but sort of yes, but at the same time no."

 _The fuck does that mean?_ Viktor voiced his thoughts, "What?"

"We signed a treaty with the leadership there, it's all fine."

Viktor rubbed his face with both hands. "Alright, if say so."

* * *

Taras counted the bullets in his magazines over and over again. He had 128 in total. There wasn't a lot to do while they waited for their informants to report back. Taras sighed in boredom.

"Captain! We have people at the door!" one of his sentries reported.

 _God damn it, the gangs are back._ It had been inevitable, the gangs wouldn't leave them alone as long as they were in their territory. Taras loaded a magazine into his rifle. "How many of them?"

"Five total. One human female, three elf females and…" The man cleared his throat. "And one angel?"

Taras sighed, the countless number of demi-human species were impossible to keep track of. "Stack up on the door. Let's get this over with."

His operatives hurried to their positions. _Let's try to conserve ammunition here…_ Taras positioned himself in front of the door. He whispered to his men, "Three… two… one!"

Taras kicked open the door, forcing the women to leap back in order to avoid being hit. The other operatives followed immediately and spread out through the mostly empty street.

Their language expert shouted out orders, "Get down! Everyone on your knees! Interlock your fingers!"

To Taras' pleasant surprise, they complied with the Russian's demands. A quick check of the street showed that the women were the only ones here. _What's going on?_

"Get them inside!" Taras ordered.

Bags were abruptly placed over their captives' heads and operatives guided them inside the building. One final check of their surroundings ensured no one was watching. Taras was the last to return, he shut the door and locked it tightly.

The women were brought into the building's attic, where they'd designated their makeshift prison. All of them were tied to posts and their bags removed. The angel let out a nasty cough as she breathed in the dusty air.

Taras looked to their language specialist. "Translate what I say to them, make sure they can understand it."

The man gave him a nod.

"All of you are trespassing here, so I suggest you listen closely and answer questions unless you want to die prematurely." Taras allowed a second for his translator to catch up. "I have three simple questions for you ladies. How did you find us? Who else knows? And why did you come here?"

His questions were initially met by silence. _Looks like we'll have to go through the hard way_. Taras had his pistol half way out of its holster when the angel spoke up, "We're whores, we managed to get your whereabouts from a gang member who talked too much."

Taras was relieved, he wouldn't have to kill anyone yet.

The angel continued, "The major gangs know that you're here, you weren't aware?"

He motioned for her to continue with the questions. The last question was the most important.

"You eliminated the entire Paramount family and their gang. The territory they left behind is disputed over, leaving those in between to suffer." She coughed for a moment. "We've come for protection."

That wasn't what he'd expected, but it could be beneficial for the operatives. It was an ideal opportunity for expanding their spy network. Taras pretended to contemplate the decision for a moment, despite the fact he'd already decided. "We will require a few things from you if you're to gain safety from us."

The angel tensed as if preparing for something terrible to come.

"We need complete secrecy from those not involved in our agreement, a portion of your incomes to feed those that we protect, and we will require several of you to act as informants for us." Taras knew the terms were strict, but he also knew they didn't have much of a choice.

"That's it?" she looked relieved for some reason. "We accept."

Once more Taras was pleasantly surprised. _And so our spy network expands._

"Let them go."

* * *

It was night time when they approached Italica's front gate. Viktor wasn't feeling very confident about just asking for entrance like Itami suggested. It wasn't that he didn't trust the man, he just didn't trust Itami's confidence in his supposed "allies."

"You sure this work?"

The lieutenant waved his hand dismissively. "It'll be fine. All fine."

"Thick headed idiot..." Viktor muttered in Russian.

The BTR reached Italica's front gate where the guards on duty looked down at them. Unlike every other Saderan city Viktor had been to, they didn't gape at it. Itami opened up the top hatch and waved at them.

"It's the Green People!" Apparently Itami was famous.

"They're back!"

Viktor took that as a sign they were welcome into the city. They continued on, rolling down Italica's streets. Italica was significantly smaller than Bellnahgo and Rondel, it was also designed much more sensibly. The straight road led them directly to Countess Formal's Mansion.

"Your squad at mansion, yes?" Viktor asked Itami.

"Well… maybe. But even if they aren't we can wait there."

Viktor took a deep breath. "Great… just great…"

Itami smiled. "Don't worry, Princess Pina is a good person."

"Princess?" It seemed Itami had failed to bring up all the important details.

* * *

"What the hell did you do?!"

Bozes stood in shock as wine dripped down her face.

"You idiots!"

Panache rushed to Bozes' side with a rag. "Princess, we apologize for not succeeding in defeating the enemy we encountered, but was this necessary?"

"It's not that you failed…" The princess shuddered. "You attacked the SDF after we guaranteed them safety, violating the treaty we signed with them."

"But princess, are we not supposed to defeat them in battle?" Panache asked with a hint of typical Imperial arrogance.

"You witnessed the power of just one of their soldiers. They have an army of thousands with the same power! If they use this as an excuse to start a war…" Pina shuddered again at the thought.

"Princess!" It was Hamilton. "Lieutenant Itami is outside the mansion!"

Pina gulped, if Itami was here to take revenge she didn't know if she could stop it. This was a bad situation, it'd take all of her diplomatic skills to ensure nothing came of it. She cleared her throat. "Allow him inside."

Hamilton rushed back to let them in, and Pina turned to her knights. "Get out of sight! We can't afford them to see you!"

Bozes and Panache scurried away from the room. Not a second later, a large group entered the room. She spotted Itami at the front, behind him were eight soldiers in uniforms different from Itami, all wearing masks. _That's not the SDF._ With them were two humans, a mercenary and a mage. Pina looked at their final member and had to do a double take. It was the Apostle of Hardy, Giselle.

 _Is the SDF supported by both Emroy and Hardy?_

"W-welcome back, Lieutenant Itami and your companions." Pina tried not to let her nervousness show through. "If I am not mistaken, these are not the same companions you previously traveled with, may I ask who they are?"

One of the soldiers behind Itami stepped forward. "I am Senior Sergeant Viktor Statnik, these be my squad. We are what you know as the 'Masked Men.' We rescue Itami from Imperial knights, we here to deliver him to his squad," he spoke with a thick accent.

Pina's heart rate spiked. They'd not only angered the SDF, but also attacked the Masked Men, this was very bad. She'd heard the rumors, the Masked Men captured Bellnahgo is less than a day. Pina shivered to think what they could do to the rest of the Empire.

"Ehh, we can stay here to wait for my squad to arrive, yeah?" Itami asked.

This was her opportunity to make amends. "Yes! You and all of your companions can wait here for as long as you require. Our maids will take care of your needs."

The man named Viktor looked back and said something in his language. His soldiers nodded at whatever he'd said. Viktor then turned back to Pina and spoke, "We accept."

* * *

Everyone had been given their very own room. Viktor smiled, the accommodations were much nicer than the inn they'd stayed at in Rondel. The night was still young though, so they all gathered in the largest room, Itami's.

The princess hadn't been lying when she said maids would be taking care of them. Inside Itami's room were four maids of varying species. Some sort of bunny person, a woman with snake hair, a regular human, and finally a cat girl. Viktor could practically hear Demian's eyes bulge out of their sockets.

"Well this isn't so bad…" he muttered.

"S-sergeant! Permission to remove my mask!" Demian stuttered out.

Viktor sighed, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. _Oh well, it can't hurt I guess._ "Permission granted."

Demian practically ripped it off of him and ran over to the cat girl. Viktor shook his head and pulled his own mask down. The others soon removed their masks.

It didn't take long for his squad to start making friends with the maids. Alina and the bunny woman, Mamina, took a liking to each other. Kilment was trying to talk with the girl with snake hair. The human woman was asking questions from Luka while they sat together. Finally, Viktor could see Demian introducing himself to the cat girl.

Sitting down on one of the couches, Viktor let himself sink into the seat. This was a good way to deal with a stressful day.

The door to the room was suddenly kicked open. Viktor sat up with his rifle in hand. The other Russian dropped what they were doing and reacted similarly. Sprinting in came five JSDF soldiers with their own rifles up.

 _Looks like Itami's squad finally made it._

* * *

Chapter 11 here we are.

Papon777: Well, the Hakone Incident was also with Chinese and American agents so we'll see how that ends up. I read up on the Crety Epidemic and I'm not sure if I'll be using very much stuff from the manga, the story is going to be based mainly off the anime but I might incorporate some manga stuff later on.

oddfather: I didn't use Putin because firstly there are people out there who both support and hate Putin and I didn't want to use such a controversial figure. Secondly, Gate uses fictional political figures so it would be kind of weird to have a fictional Japanese Prime Minister and a real Russian President. I did however base Malikov off of some of Putin's stuff (some of his lines are directly taken from Putin's responses to questions). As for revealing the gate, no one is going to invade Russia obviously, but the key here is to limit American involvement. If America doesn't know Russia has a gate, they may be fine with Japan handling it, but if they do know then America's going to do something about it.

Nicolas: The only real alternative to letting Itami go is to lock him away or execute him secretly if Russia wants to maintain stable relations with Japan then they can't publicly show that they have a JSDF officer hostage. The world was going to find out about the gate sooner or later and it's best to kick start cooperation with Japan through showing how they already helped. Also you're English is good.

GhostScorch: Very soon.

anaspautina: Proxy war is definitely on the table for the future. Also Giselle's dragons will make an appearance sometime in the future.

Nacho141: Just wait and see.

Dandaman5: Thanks!

Feerzo 14: Thank you!

That's all the reviews for last chapter, these all really motivate me to keep writing.


	12. Chapter 12

Malikov took a deep breath before walking up to his podium. Hundreds of reporters and journalists sat gathered for his announcement. The flash of cameras greeted him as he reached his spot. This was probably going to be the defining moment in Malikov's presidency. He waited for a moment while everyone took their seats before speaking.

"Citizens of the Russian Federation and representatives from nations around the world, I bring unfortunate news. Several weeks ago, without any demands being brought forward and without any formal declaration of war, our nation was attacked by soldiers from another world."

Malikov could feel the tension in the room.

"These men arrived and attacked in a fashion nearly identical to what happened at Ginza. They attacked without having ever met with our government and without any signs of aggression from our nation. The responsibility for this predatory attack upon the Russian Federation falls fully and completely upon the Saderan Empire and their rulers."

Several more flashes came from cameras in the audience.

"Attacking the town of Novinka, Imperial invaders slaughtered tens of men, women and children, and enslaved hundreds. It is for this reason that the 16th Motor Rifle Brigade was deployed into what we know as the Special Region to rescue our citizens and bring justice to the maniacs who orchestrated an attack on Russian soil."

He cleared his throat and continued on.

"Secrecy was of the utmost importance for our brave soldiers who entered the Special Region, and because of this the presence of the gate was kept a secret. But now that, our troops have managed to properly secure themselves on both sides of the gate, this terrible tragedy can no longer remain hidden. We hope that we can achieve cooperation with the Japanese government in order to defeat our common enemy."

Malikov could see several reporters furiously scribbling things down.

"In the weeks since this expedition was deployed, our troops have liberated many places from the oppressive Saderan government. These liberated areas have banded under one government, and in the days that followed their liberation, petitioned to join the Russian Federation."

He took a deep breath.

"A referendum was held publicly and fairly in accordance with all United Nations regulations. The people expressed their will clearly and earnestly. An overwhelming majority of 96% has voted to form the Republic of Bellnahgo as a federal subject of the Russian Federation."

It was Crimea all over again.

"Today, based on the results of the referendum, I submit to the Federal Council and request them to consider a constitutional law on the acceptance of a new federal subject to Russia. I also ask they ratify the agreement that is ready to be signed for the annexation the Republic of Bellnahgo into the Russian Federation."

Malikov smiled.

"I have no doubt in their support for this motion."

* * *

"Everyone easy now…" Viktor kept his squad from opening fire. "Lower your rifles, they're not our enemies."

The Russians followed their squad leader's orders and gradually lowered their aim from the JSDF soldiers. Russian and Japanese soldiers hadn't met in combat since the Great Patriotic War, Viktor didn't plan to ruin that streak. Tensions were high and one bad move could end in a blood bath for everyone involved. "Demian, ask these kind fellows to respectfully lower their rifles."

Demian slowly translated the message into Japanese. Viktor would have been lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Any small problem could spark a firefight at this point and he really didn't want to be held responsible for that. He was going to be meeting the president after all.

An older man who seemed to be in command said something Viktor didn't understand. It seemed to be a similar order to Viktor's as the Japanese promptly lowered their own rifles. One of their soldiers, a short brown haired woman, was reluctant to follow suit, but she eventually did so when the older man reprimanded her.

Itami remained silent through the entire process, much to Viktor's frustration. All of this tension would disappear if the man would just explain the situation. Viktor grew impatient decided to take the lead here. He stepped forward with his hand extended, looking at the old man.

"My name Senior Sergeant Viktor Statnik, this my squad," Viktor spoke in Saderan, hoping they'd understand him like their lieutenant had. "We save Itami from Imperials then bring Itami here, waited for you."

The short woman opened her mouth. Viktor knew the question before she'd spoken. "Yes, we Russian."

Her jaw practically unhinged.

It was at this time that Itami finally said something. He spoke with the old man in Japanese for a moment. Viktor assumed he was finally doing his job and was explaining everything. Shortly after, the JSDF soldiers relaxed and began to disperse in the room. Viktor allowed himself to finally ease up, the standoff was over.

One of their soldiers, a skinny man with black hair, saw the cat girl Demian had been talking to and promptly ran forward. He stepped up clearly nervous and saluted. "I-I am Sergeant Kurata Takeo! 21 years old! Single! My hobbies are anime and watching doujinshi. Nice to meet you!"

The maid giggled at his introduction causing the man to turn a bright red.

Demian stood up in anger. He walked up to Kurata with his chest puffed out and his fists at his side. It was strange to see him behave like that. "Back up! Persia mine!"

Kurata faced him. "What?! She's not yours!"

Demian's face went red. In an unexpected move, he shoved the Japanese man backwards, causing him to stumble. "I'll kill you!"

Kurata looked between Demian and Persia before making his decision and charging the Russian. The two immediately began grappling with each other.

Russian recruits were trained in limited hand to hand combat in the rare case they'd ever need to engage in it. While not as extensive as Spetsnaz training, regular soldiers were familiar enough with it to stand their ground long enough for one of their squad mates to shoot whoever they were fighting. Kurata was clearly not as familiar.

Demian forced Kurata onto his back using his rage and superior training. Viktor had never seen Demian so pissed off before. The Japanese man promptly yelled at him while fending off Demian's fists. "You're weaker than Emyu!"

That seemed to resonate within Demian. "You watch Mei-Com?" He stopped trying to kill Kurata.

Kurata looked surprised for a moment before snapping out of it. "Yeah, I can sing the Mei-Com opening!"

"What? Seriously?!"

As quickly as they began fighting, the two got off each other and devolved into a discussion on anime. Viktor shook his head in disappointment. _Fucking otakus…_

Just as one dispute started, another one began. What looked to be a thirteen year old child walked into the room, carrying a massive halberd. Viktor only knew of one person who could hold something like that. _An apostle…_

Instantly Giselle stood with her scythe in hand. "Rory Mercury." She apparently knew the girl.

Rory's eyes narrowed. "Giselle… Come to bring me to Hardy, have you?" She readied her halberd.

"Her Highness demands you as her wife," Giselle said while preparing her scythe.

"Tell Hardy I'm never going to marry her!" The two apostles looked ready to kill each other.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._ If they decided to fight in such close quarters, Viktor doubted anyone would come out alive. It also wouldn't help Japanese-Russian relations if they had their auxiliary forces fighting each other.

Viktor ran up to Giselle before either of them could make a move. "Don't fight, that is order," he told her sternly. Itami apparently had the same thought process and did the same with Rory.

Giselle looked at Viktor with rage on her face. It dissipated as soon as she met Viktor's eyes. "Fine, but only because it's for you," she let out with a huff.

The two apostles backed away from each other. They sat down in couches on opposite ends of the room. Giselle and Rory then proceeded to have a staring contest with each other. Neither one backed down. Viktor just knew this issue wouldn't be going away for a long while. _At least they're not killing everyone…_

"Lelei?!" Viktor sighed and looked at the next incident he had to deal with. Arpeggio was standing over a girl with teal hair, her face contorted with anger. "Trying to surpass me by palling around with other worlders?! Too bad, I joined up with them too!"

"Arpeggio," Lelei greeted her in an emotionless voice.

"The Russian hired me for my exceptional knowledge of minerals, what'd you get hired for hmm?!" Viktor tried to remind himself why he hired the explosive woman. So far they hadn't done anything mineral related, all she was doing was eating food and taking up space. _She did fix the radio though…_ For that he had to be grateful.

"I wasn't hired." The girl's lack of emotion unnerved Viktor.

"Hah! So I've beaten you then! I'm sought after, while you have to trail behind like a beggar!" Arpeggio's explosive emotions were getting the best of her.

"That's not necessarily true."

Lelei seemed to be handling the matter calmly so Viktor didn't see a need to intervene. He left the two to their one sided argument. Viktor sighed, it was like herding children, no one could just sit still and relax without starting an argument.. _Why the fuck does everyone know each other here…?_

Viktor got the feeling someone was watching him. Turning around, he saw the short JSDF woman right behind him. He noticed she was looking intently at his gear. "Hello?" he greeted.

She immediately snapped a salute. "Sergeant First Class Shino Kuribayashi!" she yelled.

Viktor was slightly taken aback by her aggressiveness. Shino observed him like a wolf hunting for any sign of weakness in Viktor. He returned her salute firmly, not willing to show any.

Her expression lost its aggressive look when he did that. "What kind of equipment is that? It looks so much better than our gear," she said with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"It is Strelets system, newest in Russian infantry combat gear. Part of Ratnik program. We have got more gear, but it does not work with no satellite, so we not carry it around." Viktor didn't know how much he was allowed to reveal, but he figured most of this information was public anyways.

Shino looked in awe of the Ratnik equipment. She hefted her rifle up, an old Cold War era gun. "Our gear's all old shitty stuff. They didn't even give us the modern equipment."

Viktor laughed. "We get best, because we are best."

"Oh yeah? Have you ever seen combat?"

"Several skirmishes, two big battles. You?" he challenged.

"Two big battles and we fought a fire dragon." Shino had a smug look as she spoke. Viktor looked forward to wiping it off her face.

"We defeated apostle and kill giant." Viktor pointed at Giselle, who was still engaged in a staring contest with Rory.

"I-uhh…" She huffed. "Fine, you've seen more action." He might have imagined it, but Viktor thought he saw a bit of admiration in her.

Viktor yawned and noted that several people had decided to head back to their rooms for some sleep. It sounded like a good idea to Viktor. He looked back to Shino. "I love to talk, but I go sleep now."

"Huh? Wait!" Shino's voice stopped him. "What's your name again?"

"Viktor." With that he left her and headed to his own room.

* * *

Princess Pina sat facing two of her knights. She had a plan to make the JSDF and Masked Men forget about what happened, but it wouldn't be easy. Sacrifices had to be made for the Empire's survival.

"Bozes, Panache, you attacked the SDF after had guaranteed their safety, and came into conflict with the Masked Men that could end up sparking war. Both nations have power far beyond we do and are capable of untold levels of destruction. If either of them use this incident as an excuse to start a war, you don't need me to tell you what will happen to the Empire," she finished her lecture with a sigh.

Bozes and Panache both looked down in shame. "Yes…" they acknowledged.

Pina took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "We need to make everyone pretend this never happened." It wouldn't be easy, Pina knew they'd have to resort to extreme methods. "And both of you need to use your bodies to do it."

The two knights had similarly shocked expressions. Pina knew it was a lot to ask from them, but they were both loyal. They'd do what was necessary for the Empire.

"Bozes, you will attend to Itami." She turned her head to the white haired knight. "Panache, you'll do the same with Viktor."

Bozes' expression hardened. "I've been trained in these matters and I swear to you I shall do what is needed for the sake of you and the Empire."

Panache only nodded dumbly in agreement.

* * *

It had been a long time since Viktor had his own room to sleep in. The Russian Military didn't provide separate housing for their enlisted ranks, as such Viktor's four years in the army had been spent sleeping in barracks. In the field, sleeping arrangements were essentially non-existent. Soldiers slept wherever they could, with Viktor mostly choosing to sleep in the BTR, and no one had any privacy.

Looking around his dark room, Viktor was truly alone for once. It was a strange feeling for him. The room was undoubtedly both luxurious and comfortable, however it was completely foreign to Viktor. Saderan architecture was nothing like the Volgograd apartment blocks he grew up in.

Viktor's family had never been rich. His father had been a contract soldier until he lost his arm in the Second Chechen War. After that, his mother had to provide for the family. While Viktor and his sister never went hungry, his mother's inconsistent pay meant they always had to be careful with what was spent. Part of the reason Viktor became a contract soldier was because of the stable income it provided.

He didn't know what his sister was doing now, he hadn't seen her in a couple years. That was another thing he had to do when he got home. Rekindling the relationship with his sister was something to look forward to. Viktor wondered how long it would be until they got some leave time. The fact that the Novinka gate had probably been announced was a good sign.

 _This place might be nice, but it sure isn't home._

The Special Region certainly wasn't what he'd expected when he joined the army. His father told him stories from his own experience in combat, this was nothing like that. Instead of facing insurgents, he was up against Roman soldiers. The first battle wasn't even really a battle, it was more of a massacre. Bellnahgo was probably the closest to his father's stories that Viktor had experienced, but even that was done with no Russian casualties.

Viktor secretly had a craving for some real combat experience. He knew his squad also had a similar craving, but it seemed unlikely they'd get any. The only other real military here was the JSDF and with how things were going, Viktor doubted they'd end up fighting each other openly.

 _I guess killing fantasy monsters isn't all that bad._

The Saderan Empire wouldn't last long if things went at this pace. Princess Pina was desperate, Viktor had seen it in her when she spoke, she'd do anything to prevent her Empire's destruction. Whatever she tried might work with the JSDF, but the Russian Military wasn't here to negotiate. It was only a matter of time before Russian tank crashed through Sadera's front gate.

Viktor sighed and began to take off his body armor. Sleeping in combat gear wasn't fun and it had been a long time since he got to sleep in his own bed. He made sure to keep his pistol in its holster on his belt. You couldn't be sure what would happen.

* * *

Panache shuffled her way in front of Viktor's room. The light was out, but she knew he was in there. She'd heard him moving a few moments ago.

The knight took a few deep breaths. She had been prepared for this, it was a part of being the daughter of a noble house, Panache just never expected she'd actually have to do it. Wiping a small tear from her face, she stepped forward.

The door creaked as it opened into the dark room. Panache heard panicked movement from the inside. With another deep breath, she stepped into the room.

"Kto tam?!" the man spoke in his strange language. "Otvet'te mne!"

Panache didn't understand one bit of what he'd said, but it sounded angry. She didn't know what to do and decided to shuffle forward.

"Ukhodi otsyuda!" He finally decided to say something Panache could understand, "Get out!"

 _He wants me to leave?_ She couldn't let that happen, the Empire couldn't afford a war. This had to work, otherwise Panache would be responsible for the Empire's destruction. Walking forward, she tried to remember the lessons she'd been taught.

Her advance was immediately halted by a flash of light and a deafening noise. The roof above her her splintered as something smashed through it. The flash had come to from a piece of metal in the man's hands. _Their magic..._

"Blyat… ya durak…." he muttered out something in his language.

Panache could only hear in one ear, the other one was ringing from the bang that his magic had caused. She stumbled out of the room and onto the ground disorientated.

Maids rushed to her aid as she lay there in shock. _I failed…._

* * *

I've had a lot of spare time so here's another chapter.

Nicolas: Writing's fun so I do it whenever I've got free time. I'm really enjoying writing this story.

hellisonfire345: Thanks! We'll see about Japanese-Russian relations, but the VDV is definitely coming.

anaspautina: Thank you! And yes, the Russians are much more aggressive and will certainly be exploiting the new world.

Feerzo 14: I appreciate the review.

rdawamindra: I'll probably do this later on. The thing that's holding me back right now is that I couldn't fit it into the story previously and now I'm not confident in my ability to portray the original cast's personalities correctly. I'll figure it out eventually. As for your second comment, I appreciate the suggestions and I'll take that into account when I write. I've gone back and fixed a few major things in previous chapters with errors that some how got through both me and my friend's editing, but if I change anything relevant to the story I'll do it in one big group so that it doesn't mess up any continuity.

Dandaman5: Interaction was limited in this chapter, there'll be more later.

GhostScorch: It's based off of the canon, but it definitely deviates in some areas.


	13. Chapter 13

Malikov knew it would happen sooner or later. To think otherwise was simply ignorant and idealistic thinking. His announcement may have expedited the process, but it was going to happen regardless. Everyone knew this was coming.

The Americans were entering the gate.

President Dirrel was an aggressive leader. He had the philosophy that America should be the only superpower in the world, and all others should accept that. While he may have stated they were entering to assist the Japanese, Malikov knew better. They were entering to maintain America's grip on the world.

The JSDF had so far been relatively passive in their exploration of the Special Region. While Bellnahgo had been conquered and Rondel was in Russia's sights, Japan had barely made contact with a major city. The JSDF was hesitant to go too far, after all they were a self defense force not an army. That was bound to change, Americans did things differently.

For the time being though, American troops were limited to a single marine expeditionary unit. As a stipulation of Japanese nationalistic sentiment, American troops were to be under the command of Japanese generals. Malikov wasn't naive enough to believe that would last for long, but for the time being it seemed the American dog would be reigned in by Japanese command.

America wasn't the only one that wanted in on the gate. Just yesterday, Malikov had received requests from the United Nations, several countries of the European Union, China, and even North Korea for access into the Special Region. He'd so far denied them all, but pressure would continue mounting. At very least, he'd have to let the UN in eventually.

Malikov sighed, maybe it wasn't the worst idea to allow access into the Special Region. Russian forces in the Special Region were spread thin. Malikov had already authorized another Motor Rifle Brigade be sent through the gate in order to meet demands, but perhaps it would be wise to make new alliances.

If Russia showed that it trusted another nation and cooperated with them in the field, that could spark a friendship which could last a very long time. While America may decide to be aggressive with only Russia in the Special Region, they might reconsider when faced with an alliance of nations.

Malikov made his decision.

He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed for his aide. "Get me on a line with President Dechou."

* * *

There had been a time when Caelia trusted the Empire. That time was long gone. While the Russians slept peacefully in their beds, Caelia stayed in full armor, ready to react. Viktor may have trusted the Imperial Princess' hospitality, but the mercenary didn't. Fancy maids and luxurious rooms couldn't make up for what they'd done.

Caelia exhaled as past memories came up.

The Kingdom of Vitus hadn't been particularly influential or special, but it was Caelia's home. Its people could enjoy the prosperity brought from being an Imperial vassal state while still retaining their pride and culture. Small in size, most of its population consisted of farmers with only a few possessing a skilled trade.

Like many others, Caelia grew up on a farm. Her family wasn't particularly poor, but it had a lot of mouths to feed. Four sons and one daughter had meant everyone needed to contribute to the family. While other households kept the women indoors to prepare them for marriage and motherhood, she'd worked in the fields.

Caelia wouldn't have had it any other way.

Vitus was a peaceful land. Its people hadn't known war or any great hardships for several centuries. While the occasional adventurous soul may have signed up with the Imperial Army, most people were content with their calm lives. Caelia certainly had been.

She was fourteen when the goblin raids began. Driven westwards by some unknown force, the goblin tribes shattered the peace that Vitus previously had enjoyed for hundreds of years. They sacked village after village, leaving no survivors. The small guard force Vitus kept was entirely unprepared for such an invasion. Fear grew among the population.

Caelia had cheered when Imperial soldiers marched through her village, everyone had. Their saviors finally arrived, a quick military campaign would see the return to live as they once knew it. Imperial soldiers would drive back the barbaric goblins in no time and bring order to Vitus. She was so foolish back then.

It was true, they drove back the goblin invaders with ease. Caelia remembered flying the Imperial banner from her window when she'd heard the news. The only problem was that once the goblins were gone, the soldiers remained.

Legatus Duvius had said they needed only a few days to clear up the threat. Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months. Months turned into a year.

Before she'd realized it, Vitus was an Imperial province. Harsh taxes were imposed on them in order to pay for the expenses it had cost to drive out the goblins. The agrarian population struggled to both pay Imperial tribute and feed their families. Caelia's father chose to feed his family.

The punishment was severe.

Caelia had watched from her hiding spot as Imperial soldiers burned her family's farm to the ground. They strung her brothers up from the trees while her father's corpse lay without a head. Her mother was raped until they got bored and cut her throat, Imperial justice at work.

Caelia wiped away the tears forming on her face. The past was the past, there wasn't any use in crying about it. After all these years, she was finally gifted a miracle. The Russians would bring about the Empire's destruction, and she'd be helping them along.

A loud noise rang out through the mansion. _Russian magi… gunfire._ The Russian weapons weren't magic, just machines.

Caelia wasted no time in bursting out of her room, sword in hand.

To her left, several maids huddled around a woman dressed in night wear. She initially thought it was some whore, until she saw the woman's face. The white haired knight who she'd nearly come to blows with.

Across from the knight, Viktor stood half dressed with a gun in his hand. Caelia didn't need confirmation to know what had happened. The woman was an assassin.

She sprinted forward, knocking a maid out of the way in the process. Caelia knew the Imperials shouldn't have been trusted. Quickly, she reached the dazed woman. The knight was in too much shock to react as Caelia placed her sword's tip at throat level.

* * *

Princess Pina wanted to scream, her plans had both dramatically failed. Not only had Bozes attacked Itami, but Panache's advances caused a violent reaction in Viktor. Everything was falling apart.

Bozes was next to Itami, standing in shame of her actions. She'd lost her temper and slapped the lieutenant for ignoring her, the exact opposite of what Pina had wanted. Although it wasn't any sort of serious wound, the action was surely enough to justify war against the Empire.

Unfortunately for Pina, that was the least of her problems.

Panache was on her knees with one of Viktor's men aiming his magic staff at the back of her head. Unlike Bozes, Panache had done nothing wrong as far as Pina knew. Viktor had just abruptly demanded for her to leave and when she didn't he unleashed his magic into the air. The mercenary had claimed Panache was an assassin, but surely the Masked Men wouldn't trust a wandering hireling over royalty. _Right?_

"Why was knight in my room?" Viktor's accented Saderan broke through Pina's thoughts.

"S-she was there to ease the relationship between our two countries." She hoped he wouldn't be rash here.

"Ease relationship?" The man looked at her in confusion.

"To please you and satisfy your needs."

The Apostle of Hardy immediately glared at Panache and hefted up her scythe. She bore holes into the knight's skull with her gaze. _Have we angered the gods as well?_

Viktor sighed before looking back at Pina. "Knight not assassin?"

She hurriedly nodded. "Panache only tried to please you."

Pina silently prayed that he would accept that answer. She needed to come up with a way to persuade them into making peace with the Empire. Panache and Bozes' seductions had both failed, perhaps they'd be open to bribes.

The mercenary stepped forward. "Don't trust her, she'll say anything to appease you. The white haired knight tried to kill you, that can't go unpunished."

Viktor looked towards her. He began to speak in his foreign language, the mercenary nodded as if she could understand him. Pina tried to calm her heart rate as the mercenary began to speak in the Masked Men's language. Viktor said something that caused the woman to grumble. She clearly wasn't happy, but she didn't object to anything.

"We leaving now." He turned his attention back to Pina.

Her panic immediately spiked again. "What?! Why?!"

"I have meeting with leader of my country, cannot miss," he stated calmly.

That was bad, very bad. If Viktor was going to be speaking with his nation's leader then it was likely in order to use this incident as an excuse for war. She had to do something quickly.

"Surely you can be convinced to stay for just a few more days. I-I can give you Panache as a slave if you wish it." Pina regretted it the moment she'd said it, but this was necessary for the Empire's survival.

Panache looked up at Pina in shock. Pina met her gaze with guilt on her face. A moment passed before Panache shut her eyes and lowered her head. The knight accepted her fate, she was loyal to the end.

At the same time, the Apostle of Hardy stepped forward. Whatever she wanted, Giselle didn't look happy. "I believe the sergeant made up his mind, keep your whore to yourself."

Another failure, Pina's options were running out.

"Then I'll go to Aquilla with you!" She walked forward from her seat. "I wish to apologize directly to your commanding officer. I assume that is fine, Sergeant Statnik?"

He looked back at his men briefly before speaking, "With respect, you will meet commanding officer soon if stay at Italica. We go without you." Viktor immediately began walking out of the mansion, his followers went with him.

Pina's eye twitched as they left. This was going to be the end of the Empire. Her order had failed on its first real mission. Maybe her father was right, the Rose-Order of Knights really was just her plaything. She settled back into her seat with a large sigh.

"Ahem, err…" Itami, who'd remained silent through the entire conversation, finally spoke up.

The princess stood back up immediately. Pina had nearly forgotten that she needed to appease two countries. Maybe Japan would be easier to negotiate with.

* * *

"Command, this is Atlant-012, do you copy? Over."

"We're reading you, Atlant-012, any issues? Over."

"Our informants have discovered Japanese forces in the Capital. They've settled themselves in the red light district, about four blocks away from our base of operations. Over."

"Understood, have they discovered you? Over."

"As far as we know, they are unaware of our presence. Over."

"Copy that, avoid all contact with the JSDF if possible. Do not engage unless you are attacked. Over."

"Roger that, command. We'll settle in here. Over."

Taras set down the radio and slammed his fist into the table. They'd been so close to figuring out the exact location of the male Russian captives. One of their informants had told them where to find records for sales in the slave market, all they needed to do was retrieve it.

With the JSDF here, that couldn't happen.

The moment a single bullet was fired by the spetsnaz operatives, the Japanese would instantly be alerted that they weren't alone. Taras was confident in his men's ability, but infiltrating a compound filled with guards trained in close quarters combat without being able to fire their weapons was just slightly too risky. If push came to shove they could do it, but Taras wasn't willing to take that chance yet.

They'd just have to keep waiting.

Still, in the grand scheme of things, their situation was improving. The spy network they'd created was flourishing. Blackmail was collected on all the prominent crime lords in the area and they were in the process of gathering information on Imperial Senators.

With their new blackmail, no crime lord had risked coming near them, which allowed for an expansion of their operations. Mizari, the angel woman, was key in bringing more informants to them. In order to keep up appearances, they'd called themselves the Buteo family. As far as Imperial guards were concerned, they were just another crime family gaining power.

Taras went back to counting the bullets in his magazine. Until orders came from the higher ups, they'd just have to wait. He was worried about the Russian captives though, they didn't have the luxury of waiting forever.

* * *

Tullus stood when his office's door opened suddenly. Agent Cheslav walked in carrying a folder filled with numerous papers. He smiled when they made eye contact.

"Agent Cheslav, welcome." Tullus' Russian wasn't perfect, but it was improving at a rapid rate.

"President Creseces, it's good to see you again."

Tullus gestured for Cheslav to take a seat. "Might I ask why you've come?"

"Business, I'm afraid." He opened the folder and handed Tullus a paper.

The president took a long look at the document. His spoken Russian may have been decent, but reading it was an entirely different matter. It took him several minutes to get the gist of what it meant. Cheslav sat patiently all the while.

If Tullus read correctly, the document was a treaty that was to be signed between the Russian government and the Archmages of Rondel. They wanted to annex the city into the Republic of Bellnahgo.

Tullus looked up from the paper. "You have your eyes on Rondel?" He'd long since learned that Rondel wasn't actually under Russian control and that his family wasn't in Russian hands. That didn't mean they were safe though.

"Indeed," he said with a nod. "We'd prefer to take it without having to destroy half the city."

"Mhmm, the archmages aren't likely to just join us. We'll need to sell them on the idea of Russian rule." Tullus knew his home city well.

"Any recommendations?"

Tullus thought about the archmages. "They value knowledge and advancement above all else. If you bring them examples of your advanced technology, we'll be capable of winning over at least a decent part of their council." He took another moment to think. "We can probably win the normal people over with basic luxuries and anyone else can probably be persuaded over to our side by your military power."

Agent Cheslav was writing everything down. He looked up at Tullus. "Is that all?"

Tullus nodded.

"Excellent, I'll get this information to my superiors immediately." The agent took a look out of the office window. "How has Bellnahgo been?"

"We've managed to completely destroy the resistance against our forces. In order to do so, I had to authorize another expansion of the militia again. There have been a lot of former slaves volunteering which, while effective at suppressing Imperial resistance, has caused several problems with former slave owners," Tullus recited from his reports.

"Good, good. How are the citizens responding to Russian rule?"

Tullus smiled, he had nothing but good news about that. "The people took a little time to adjust, but now they're happy. We've successfully provided housing for the vast majority of people and they're now enjoying luxuries they've never had before. There's been plenty of open jobs for them and taxes are being collected without trouble. I also took the liberty of opening several language classes so they could learn Russian."

Cheslav stood from his seat smiling. "I'm glad everything's going so smoothly. If things keep going this way, we'll be able to settle Russian civilians in the areas soon enough. I knew we made the right choice when we picked you."

Tullus stood as well and extended his hand out. "Until next time, Agent Cheslav."

"Until next time." The agent shook his hand and turned to leave.

* * *

"Sergeant, did we have to leave so soon?" Demian was whining in the BTR as they rolled away from Italica.

"You prefer to have stayed with the Imperials? They're our enemy, you could end up with a knife in your back if you aren't careful," Viktor replied.

Demian sighed and slumped down in his seat. "Not all of them are bad…" he muttered.

Viktor shook his head. Demian was probably going to be lamenting about leaving that cat girl and his new Japanese friend behind for a while. The rest of the squad was also severely disappointed, they'd liked Italica.

Kilment and Igor had managed to teach the snake haired lady durak. The two had to take turns watching her hair to make sure she wasn't using it to cheat, but other than that they'd thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Viktor was confident they'd both properly corrupted the girl.

Kilment and Igor weren't the only ones that had fun. Tomas and Luka had talked with the human maid the entire time they were there and Alina spent her time with Mamina discussing combat. Sergei hadn't really connected well with the maids, but he made friends with the old JSDF soldier, Kuwahara.

Although the Russians had enjoyed Italica, Caelia, Giselle, and Arpeggio had all despised it. Caelia seemed to hate anything Imperial, which meant she was always on guard and never relaxed. All the chaos that happened later in the night probably didn't help.

Giselle and Arpeggio had somehow managed to find their two mortal enemies at Italica. Viktor was certain that if he hadn't intervened, Giselle and Rory would have destroyed the city. With Arpeggio, her sister Lelei seemed to be her exact opposite. Calm and almost emotionless, Lelei was in great contrast to Arpeggio's chaotic and overly emotional actions. That was probably the reason they fought so much.

Viktor sighed, he was glad to be leaving. The stress of that night had taken a toll on his mental health.

It wasn't all bad though. The JSDF woman, Shino Kuribayashi, was a nice relief. Viktor had enjoyed their conversation, it was a good distraction from the chaos going on around him. There was a bit of regret in him for leaving Italica without saying goodbye.

"Excuse me, sergeant." Viktor snapped himself out of his musing. Apreggio had made her way to his commander's seat with a map in hand. "If we have time, I'd like to locate a few mineral deposits for you."

Viktor shrugged, they had the time. While he may have told the Princess he needed to get to his meeting with the president immediately, in truth he still had a few days. Viktor hadn't expected to have to leave so soon.

"Alright, how you do that?"

She held up her chain of beads. "I can use my magic to detect them, but we'll need to stop so I can do so."

Viktor nodded in understanding. "Driver, pull over. We're going to take a little rest stop."

Soon enough the squad dismounted from their vehicle. Immediately, Arpeggio took her beads and began to swing them in a circle. Viktor watched in interest as they glowed with some sort of blue energy. Slamming the beads into the ground, Arpeggio unleashed her magic into the soil, causing it to glow blue with power.

She took a deep breath before looking at Viktor. "There's a deposit of iron east of here and several veins of copper to the north."

"Excellent, you do good job." He directed his attention to his squad. "We're going to take a little detour from here and complete our secondary objective. Let's mount up."

Kilment spoke up, "The witch figured out where we should head just from swinging around her beads?"

"I think the proper term is mage, and yes she did just that, you stupid idiot," Sergei replied to him.

Kilment smiled. "Alrighty then, I'm liking thi-"

He was interrupted by a bolt of green magical energy impacting his back. The grenadier was flung into the ground, unmoving. More bolts of energy soon came flying at them.

Viktor's eyes went wide. "Contact!"

* * *

I think this is one of my longer chapters, just goes to show how short they usually are.

hellisonfire345: I haven't played Metro Exodus, but it looks good so I might try it out. Also I think the first part of this chapter gives a sufficient answer to your question.

GhostScorch: The thing I hate about reading newer stories is that I always have to wait weeks or even months for a new chapter. I'm really liking writing this, so I don't think I'll be slowing down anytime soon. And I'm not sure if I'll make other stories, I've got a few ideas but they're not very fleshed out.

Feerzo 14: Some people like the politics, some people don't. Judging from the reviews I think at least a few people are interested in the political situation, but I can say that you'll probably be able to skip the political scenes without getting too confused.

Artyom-Dreizehn: Yeah, the Japanese nationalism is very prevalent in Gate and it especially shows in the Hakone Incident. This story is definitely going to tone down on that sort of stuff.

Perseus12: We'll see what happens, I appreciate the review.

anaspautina: I'm trying to make my chapters a bit longer, but I'm glad you enjoy my writing style.

rdawamindra: I finally managed to fit in Caelia's back story, I've been trying to find a place for it in the previous chapters, but I could never find a good place. The Oprichnina comes much later, but the name won't go unnoticed.

theaxegame: The T-90 is the only tank with enough active units to equip a Motor Rifle Brigade so I used that, but I might put in the T-14 later on. As for the BTR-82A, I chose that for a similar reason, the BTR-90 either doesn't have enough units to equip a full brigade or barely has enough (there are conflicting numbers on how many active models are out there) so I didn't want to risk it, but I think I'll be putting the BTR-90 as an upgrade for Viktor's squad as a reward for their service. I can say that the Bumerang AFV probably won't be making an appearance, it just got out of development and I can't find good technical data on it like I can for the BTR series.


	14. Chapter 14

"Get to fucking cover!" Viktor shouted as several more magic bolts flew over their heads.

The squad scrambled to find whatever cover they could get to. Most of them got behind the BTR, Viktor and Sergei found themselves behind a small rock outcropping.

"Where's it coming from?!" Alina yelled out.

Demian jerked his head around. "I can't see them!"

Viktor poked his head above the rocks for half a second. He couldn't see who was shooting at them, but the bolts were coming from the north.

Quickly, he ducked his head back into cover. "Contact is directly north of here!"

"Cover me while I get Kilment!" Luka shouted at them.

Immediately Igor opened up with his RPK to provide suppressing fire. Soon the entire squad started unloading lead in the northern direction, unaware if they were actually hitting something.

It seemed to be at least partially effective as the bolts of magic slowed down and Luka was able to drag Kilment behind the BTR.

"Where the fuck are they?!" Sergei yelled in frustration.

Viktor had an idea. "Look for flashes in the distance, that's probably their magic!"

Tomas took a peak out of cover with his sniper rifle. "I see something over over by that large boulder. One hostile!"

Viktor popped his head out of cover again. The marksman was right, there was the silhouette of a man in the distance creating bolts of magic.

"I see him at three hundred meters! Open fire!"

Looking down his sights, Viktor began firing single shots at the silhouette. He couldn't exactly see if his rounds were hitting, but he had confidence in his marksmanship.

The rest of his squad also began to open up on the figure. With so much combined firepower, no one would be able to last for long.

Viktor could see their target drop down, presumably dead. The bolts of magic had stopped coming at them, so he assumed they'd either killed or mortally wounded the attacker.

"Luka, how's Kilment?" He stood up from his cover.

"He's breathing, sergeant. The blast didn't penetrate the back of his vest, he just got knocked out when he was flung forward. He'll be on his feet in no time," Luka replied.

"Alright, thank god." Viktor looked to the rest of his squad. "We're all clear, prepare to moun-"

Another bolt of magic impacted Viktor's helmet. Everything went blurry as he found himself on the ground.

"Fuck! Contact north again!" Demian took charge.

"Sergeant, are you alright?!" Sergei, the closest one to him, shouted.

Viktor blinked several times and the blurriness went away. He felt around his helmet for the impact mark slightly trembling. "I-I'm good! Just hit the helmet!"

"They're behind that boulder!" Alina yelled at them.

Viktor calmed his breathing and picked up his AK-12. Poking his head out for just a moment, he spotted their second attacker.

"Contact is to the left of that boulder, using it as cover!"

"I see it!" Igor yelled out as he opened fire with his RPK.

Viktor took a deep breath and lined up the target. In quick succession, he fired four individual shots at the figure. Whoever was there immediately dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Alina fired a few shots. "I think I saw another one peeking out from behind that boulder!"

"Keep an overwatch on the target!" Viktor suddenly realized the BTR had remained quiet for the entire firefight. "What the fuck is our gunner doing?!"

He sprinted out from his cover and quickly crossed the gap to the BTR. Viktor pulled open the hatch and took a look inside. Both his driver and gunner were asleep.

"What the fuck are you doing?! Get the fuck up!"

Neither stirred from their sleep so Viktor went up to the gunner and slapped him in the face. "Get up, you lazy piece of shit!"

He didn't move a muscle. Clearly something was wrong.

They could figure that out later, for now he didn't have time to waste. Running out of the BTR, he could see the squad firing sporadic shots whenever they thought the figure poked their head out. This needed to end fast.

"Sergei, can you operate the RPG?!" Viktor ran back to his cover.

"I-uhh… I don't have much experience with it!"

"Can you fucking do it or not?!"

"Yes, sergeant!" he yelled out.

"Load up a fragmentation round then fire it at that fucking boulder!" Viktor ordered.

"Yes, sergeant!" he shouted while grabbing Kilment's RPG from where it had been dropped.

The assistant grenadier loaded an OG-7V fragmentation round into the rocket launcher. Sergei aimed at the boulder carefully. With a quick glance, he made sure no one was directly behind him.

"Firing!"

The rocket shot off immediately and impacted the side of the boulder, probably sending shrapnel into whoever was unlucky enough to be near it. Viktor was now reasonably certain it was clear, but he didn't want to make the same mistake again.

"Giselle!" The apostle, who'd so far just stood behind the BTR watching the Russians fight, turned to him. "I need you to check make sure if mage dead or not."

"Of course, if it makes you happy," she replied grinning before taking flight with her wings.

Viktor watched as she flew to the boulder. Several seconds went by before she appeared carrying someone. Giselle flew back to the squad and dropped an old man onto the ground.

The old man's robes were soaked with blood. There were several pieces of shrapnel embedded in his torso. Tt was a miracle he was even alive. Viktor knew he probably didn't have long to live.

Walking up to him, he kneeled down to look the old man in the eyes. "Why did you attack us?"

The mage struggled to speak and coughed up blood, "I-I know what you did at Bellnahgo…" He coughed up more blood. "Rondel will not share that fate…"

Viktor watched the man's life fade away. He turned to Giselle. "How many other bodies?"

"Two others, they looked like master mages."

The senior sergeant took a deep breath. He didn't want to think it, but there was the possibility that Arpeggio had lured them into an ambush. She was the one who'd told them to pull over, and she was an aspiring master. Maybe she'd done this in order to curry some favor with the masters.

Viktor decided to find out. "Arpeggio!"

"Yes, sergeant?" She asked.

"You recognize this man?"

Apreggio studied the dead man for a few seconds before replying, "He's one of Rondel's master. I think I attended one of his lectures, if I recall he was one of the few Imperial loyalists."

"You've never speak to him personally?"

"Never."

Viktor nodded while he thought. Perhaps he'd been a little rash in his analysis. If Arpeggio really wanted to ambush them, she would have fled as soon as the shooting started. Instead, she'd stayed right with them. Viktor's suspicions were probably unfounded.

"Alright, all good." Viktor then remembered his sleeping crewmen. "Do mage have power to make sleep?"

"Yes, it's a relatively easy spell to learn," she confirmed.

"Can you wake up sleep?"

Arpeggio nodded.

"Good." He looked to his squad. "Everyone mount up, we're leaving this god forsaken place."

* * *

There were a few things in life that Shino Kuribayashi despised, one of them was her captain Itami Yoji. Otaku, slacker, potential pervert, Kuribayashi disliked him for several reasons. Yet somehow he was not only team leader, but also a ranger.

In Kuribayashi's opinion, he shouldn't be leading anyone at all.

It was by good grace that she wasn't in the same vehicle as Itami was during their trips. Kuribayashi doubted that she'd be able to keep her sanity if she was forced to listen to Itami and Kurata's discussions on anime. It was bad enough that they accidently left their radio on every once in a while.

Kuribayashi wished that she'd been given a competent team leader. Someone like Kuwahara or even the Russian squad leader Viktor would have been better.

Now that she thought about it, everything the Russians did was better. They had better equipment, better training, they were more aggressive, and they didn't give leadership positions to slackers like Itami. If Kuribayashi had to bet, Itami wouldn't last two seconds in a fight with Viktor.

Kuribayashi couldn't imagine getting into an actual firefight with Viktor's squad. They'd get slaughtered under Itami's leadership.

Itami's orders were often questionable, he'd essentially ordered the team to allow him to be captured by the Rose Knights. It took Viktor and his squad to actually save the man. Even before that, at Italica, Itami chose to follow Pina's orders despite knowing that it was intended to be a suicide mission.

In her view, Viktor was better than Itami in every way. He wasn't a slacker, he was more aggressive, and above all else he wasn't an otaku or a pervert. She doubted that Viktor would handle almost anything the same way Itami had. Things would be much easier if Viktor was leading them.

Kuribayashi sighed, if only she was a Russian soldier.

Alnus came into view as they passed over a hill. They were supposed to be reporting to the Nation Diet soon. Itami had also seen it fit to take the princess and her knight with them, despite her clear attempts to manipulate them.

Kuribayashi supposed this meant they were technically taking a vacation. After whatever happened with the Diet, hopefully they'd have a couple days to themselves. She knew for certain that they'd be bringing along at least Tuka with them, maybe Rory and Lelei as well. After dealing with the Diet, maybe they'd show them around, or maybe they'd just sit in a house until they went back through the gate.

It didn't really matter, all that did was they were going to be heading home. Maybe she'd get to see her sister while they were there.

* * *

The Oryol Military Base was a sight for sore eyes to the members of Viktor's squad.

Since they'd last been there, the hexagonal base had expanded massively. Viktor could see the small airstrip they'd left behind was now a massive airfield complete with hangers and control towers. Wire mesh gabions had been replaced by concrete slabs and it now resembled a napoleonic fort more than a modern military base. Viktor just hoped they'd finished the showers.

Their BTR rolled through the base's gates and parked at the vehicle depot. Viktor dismissed his squad to find their barracks while he went to see his superior officer. Caelia, Giselle, and Arpeggio went with his squad.

Viktor found Lieutenant Colonel Zolotov in a newly constructed office building. Snapping a salute to the stern man, he walked up to him and stood at attention. "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, we have returned from our mission successfully."

The Lieutenant Colonel looked at him for a moment before speaking, "Comrade Senior Sergeant Statnik, I'd ask you to report your findings, but you don't have the time." He shuffled a few papers on his desk. "We know enough from your radio checks, you're being requested by the president and that takes priority."

Viktor once more was reminded that he had to meet with president of Russia, something he was deathly afraid of messing up.

"Take a shower then report to the vehicle depot for your transport, you're going back home. You can take two of your squad with you as well, and make sure you bring the auxiliaries, the president is interested in meeting them. Understood?"

Viktor stared blankly thinking through all of the ways he could fuck up.

"Understood, Senior Sergeant?" Zolotov repeated.

He blinked twice. "Yes, sir!"

"Dismissed."

* * *

Emperor Molt observed the new Imperial army as it lined up in front of him. Shiny new weapons and armor along with thousands of equally new men moved in perfect sync. It was a majestic sight to behold.

Unfortunately, Molt knew it wouldn't bring them any victory.

Scouts claimed that Italica had fallen to the Green People. His daughter, Pina, was most likely either dead or a prisoner by now. No matter what he did, the Masked Men and the Green People couldn't be stopped. Innovative new tactics, wyverns, mages, ogres, even a flame dragon didn't stop them, what chance did this new legion have?

This legion wasn't even of the same quality as the legions that had already failed. With thousands of veteran soldiers and knights falling, they severely lacked experienced soldiers. Molt wasn't even sure that they would be capable of holding back other nations on Falmart, let alone the otherworlders.

The pro-war senators had petitioned for funding in order to create this army thinking it would protect them. Molt hadn't objected, even if they weren't capable of holding back the Masked Men and Green People, they still needed an army to deal with rebellions. But the senators were incapable of seeing the ultimate truth.

These men wouldn't save the Empire.

Molt knew that diplomacy was the only way to survive. It wasn't a matter of winning anymore, it was now about getting the most lenient terms they could get away with.

This solution would undoubtedly be unpopular in the senate, most of the pro-peace faction had changed sides due to a combination of threats and political maneuvering. Grand speeches and inspiring propaganda had made the people once more believe in the invincibility of the Empire. Sadera was prepared for a war, one Molt didn't want.

Someone else surveyed the soldiers, Prince Zorzal. The prince looked at them like a child looks at a new toy. He didn't share Molt's same reason and logic for how to deal with the invaders, Zorzal had been fooled by the idea of the Empire's invincibility like many others.

Despite this, Zorzal was still Molt's choice for heir to the Empire. The reasoning was simple, as part of the peace terms Molt would most likely have to give up the throne, Zorzal would be much easier to control than Pina or Diabo.

Still, Zorzal had some bad habits.

When the news of Imperial defeats had started to come in, the crown prince grew angry. Zorzal chose to direct this anger at the slaves captured from the other side of the gate and began beating them. He'd even gone so far as to kill one of the slaves.

If they were to make peace with the Green People and Masked Men, these habits would have to be curbed. That would be hard though, there wasn't a lot he could do to stop him from beating the slaves. Forbidding him from doing it would be a great disrespect to him and would probably turn Zorzal against Molt.

Molt would have to think of ways to deal with his son.

* * *

Caelia anxiously stepped onto the large iron chariot. Viktor had called it a bus, something built to carry a large amount of people at once. She sat down in one of the many seats and tried to calm herself.

They were going to Russia.

The Masked Men's homeland. Viktor had told her a little about it. Apparently Russia was the largest nation in the world and stretched across two continents. Despite this, it didn't dominate their world, instead it was just one of three superpowers.

Viktor had said it was the beginning of winter on the other side of the gate. Instead of their normal headgear, the three Russians, Viktor, Demian and Alina, were all wearing strange fur hats. Viktor had called them ushankas, headgear that could keep them warm during the cold Russian winters.

Caelia had been forced to leave her armor behind, it supposedly wasn't normal for people to wear armor around in their world, and she was provided with a thick winter coat. She still kept her sword though, that was the one thing she refused to part with.

Arpeggio also wore a similar coat, having left her mages robes behind. They'd tried to get Giselle to wear a coat, but she'd adamantly refused to do so. It didn't matter anyways, she was going to stand out regardless of what she wore.

The others in the bus sat down. Giselle sat down in the only seat next to Viktor, despite there being more than enough seats elsewhere.

Caelia shook her head with a sigh. The apostle wasn't even trying to be subtle, yet Viktor ignored her at every turn. Sooner or later Giselle would turn to more drastic measures.

The bus suddenly started to lurch forward. It slowly approached the gate and Caelia felt her anxiety return. She didn't have any real clue as to what lie beyond the gate. Caelia had traveled across Falmart multiple times, but this was nothing like that.

They began to enter the the gate.

* * *

Extra chapter! I had this one written already, it just needed to be edited by my friend.

rdwamindra: Are you suggesting I write a completely separate story of Americans in the Special Region or incorporate a new point of view into this one? There are already a lot of really good ones out there (written by people who've actually served in the American Military) so I feel my own would be lackluster, but I might incorporate an American point of view in this one.

hellisonfire345: I'm not giving up on this anytime soon. As for other stories with other nations, a lot of the nations you listed don't have a lot of information on how their armed forces operate. I had the idea for Russia entering the gate for a while, but what actually made me confident in writing it was that I found some very good sources on their equipment, military structure, and doctrine. That's not to say I won't ever do any other nations, but I'd need some extensive research.

GhostScorch: One of the ideas I had for a while was writing a story from the perspective of an Imperial general and possibly how they work to fight for the Empire's survival in spite of their vastly superior foe. Other than that, I thought about doing a few crossovers from Star Wars and Warhammer, but I haven't really thought those through. Besides Gate stuff, I was thinking about some Game of Thrones things, but that's just like barely thought out.

Feerzo 14: Unfortunately, I haven't played any of the Command and Conquer games, so I don't think I'd be able to do it justice.

Arms Dealer: Thank you a lot for these sources, I was looking for PLA info.

I didn't respond to everyone's reviews (there's a lot of speculation so I don't want to reveal anything) but I do read them all and enjoy all of them.


	15. Chapter 15

Before the gate opened, Novinka was a small town in the Leningrad Oblast. It's population barely reached a thousand people and it held very little historical significance. Most people didn't even know it existed.

Everything had changed since then. The small town of Novinka that Viktor and his squad had departed from no longer existed. In its place stood a massive military complex that served both as a supply depot for the forces beyond the gate and as protection for the gate from outside threats.

Viktor looked at the complex while he tried to ignore Giselle slowly sliding closer and closer to him. Several munitions stockpiles flew past them as their bus made its way towards the complex's exit. He could see several soldiers drop what they were doing to stare at Giselle, pictures still weren't permitted inside the Special Region so this was probably their first exposure to another race.

He shuffled a little closer to the window as Giselle continued to encroach on his personal space. Viktor could feel the Russian winter in the air, it was a stark contrast to the warm weather of the Special Region. Everyone was wearing winter clothing, with the exception of Giselle, yet Viktor still felt the chill.

Moving his hands up, Viktor untied the side flaps on his ushanka. He once more found himself scooting over in his seat to maintain any semblance of personal space he could. The apostle was relentless in her conquest of Viktor's elbow room.

"You mind moving over? I'm crowded," Viktor's Saderan was getting better with each conversation. He was now able to say simple sentences without butchering the grammar too much.

"I'm cold, you're warm. Stop being so selfish," she said while closing what little space they had remaining between them.

That was a lie if Viktor had ever heard one. Despite wearing what barely met the definition for clothing, the apostle beside him wasn't even shivering. Giselle seemed to be entirely unaffected by the cold weather.

Still, Viktor couldn't exactly do anything about it. He surrendered himself to trying to ignore the apostle as she brushed up against him. From a couple rows down, Demian gave him an amused grin. Viktor mouthed out a plea for help to him. The man ignored his squad leader's struggle and sat back in his seat.

He once more chose to look out his window as a distraction. They'd left Novinka behind and were heading to Saint Petersburg, where the president was supposed to be waiting for them.

Viktor watched the bus pass through a thick forest silently thinking of what he was going to do. In all his life, the most important person he'd ever met was his superior officer. Meeting someone like the President of the Russian Federation was far beyond what was prepared for.

A buzz abruptly interrupted his thoughts, Viktor's cell phone was receiving text messages. They must have finally gotten cell connection. Scrolling through week old texts from his mother and several friends, Viktor realized just how disconnected from the outside world they'd been.

His mother had been especially concerned about him not responding to her messages. It was typical for families not to be told where their child was being deployed to, but Viktor was usually allowed to keep in touch. In the Special Region there was a strict policy of no communication with the outside world.

Viktor also received several news alerts.

The president had announced the Novinka gate's existence just recently and it was all over the news. There was a lot to catch up on, American soldiers in the Special Region, North Korean demands, rumors of Chinese troop movements, United Nations special sessions. It was too much to take in.

Viktor put his phone away and sat back in his seat. Giselle, still squeezed up against his side, gave him a questioning look.

"It is device that allows me to communicate with others."

She nodded slowly. "It's like your radio?"

"In a way, yes," Viktor said with a shrug. "It can do lot more than radio can."

Giselle raised an eyebrow.

"I'll show you it later."

* * *

When Viktor had said they were going to a city called Saint Petersburg, Caelia assumed they'd find a place similar to Bellnahgo or Telta. Saint Petersburg wasn't Russia's capital so she assumed it wouldn't be anything massive or grand.

Caelia was wrong.

Buildings, taller than anything Caelia had ever seen, touched the sky in the distance. All around them stood blocks of buildings designed in ways completely foreign to Caelia. With so many buildings in a single city, she could only wonder how many people lived in Russia all together.

They weaved through more buildings, moving further into the city. All around them were smaller iron chariots traveling at extremely high speeds. _Are iron chariots that common in Russia?_

The further into Saint Petersburg they went, the more iron chariots they encountered. Eventually they started getting stuck behind other iron chariots, preventing the bus from moving forward. Caelia became annoyed after the third time they got stuck in what Viktor called traffic.

Eventually, after much frustration, they arrived at their destination. It was a large building with a green roof, similar to some of the mansions and palaces in Sadera. A statue of a man riding a horse stood in front of it. Caelia was a little relieved to find something familiar in a world so different from Falmart.

"Everyone up, we're getting off here," Viktor said with a slight tinge of nervousness.

Caelia made her way to the bus' exit while the others stretched after the long journey. The cold air reminded her of when she'd gone on an expedition through the Range of Ice and Snow. There was a sharp difference from the warm Saderan summer they'd just come from.

Outside were ten men waiting for them. They all wore some type of coat Caelia hadn't seen before and had strange pieces of metal in their ears. She was immediately suspicious of the men, Russian soldiers didn't wear uniforms like that. They looked more like common citizens than soldiers, maybe they were criminals.

Caelia was about to draw her sword when Viktor came up behind her. "It's fine, they're our leader's guards. They're here to show us where to go."

Looking between Viktor and the guards, Caelia loosened the grip on her sword. Viktor clapped her on the shoulder before walking up to the men. He shook hands with one of the guards.

"You're our escort?"

The man nodded. "Come with us, President Malikov is waiting for you."

Viktor signalled for the group to follow them and began to walk towards the building. Caelia went after them thinking about what this Malikov would be like. The ruler might be like Emperor Molt Sol Augustus, a manipulative schemer who used every opportunity to further his own power, or he could be kind hearted like the late King Nepos of Vitus. Caelia hoped Malikov would be like the latter.

They entered the inside of the building. The rooms were incredibly similar to the interiors of Imperial mansions. Some things seemed to stay the same no matter where they were.

Caelia followed Viktor as they were led to the outside of a room. The guards stood on either side of the doorway and gestured for them to enter the room. It was time to meet with the leader of Russia.

* * *

In a state of panic, Viktor found himself praying to any god that would listen. He'd been raised an Orthodox Christian, but Viktor was never truly devout and he'd slowly abandoned the teachings. Now he needed all the help he could get. Jesus, Allah, even Hardy and Emroy, he prayed for any sort of assistance he could get.

Whatever he was hoping for wasn't coming. Viktor took a few deep breaths before pushing open the door and entering the room.

Several aides were gathered around, and quite a few reporters stood with cameras and notepads ready. President Malikov, a man he'd only seen over television, sat in a comfortable seat waiting for him.

All of Viktor's willpower was directed towards keeping a straight face. He must have been successful since no one gave him any weird looks. In fact, most of the attention was directed towards Giselle who stood at the back with her wings extended fully and scythe held proudly. Viktor supposed he might be able to attribute that to divine intervention. That or Giselle was just helping him.

President Malikov stood from his seat and strode over to Viktor with his hand extended. Viktor walked up to him, trying to disguise his nervousness with false confidence, and shook the president's hand. Severals cameras flashed as they greeted each other, and Viktor forced out a fake smile.

"You're Senior Sergeant Statnik?" The president's voice didn't waver despite all of the cameras directed at him.

"Yes, sir," Viktor managed to get it out without stuttering.

"It's good to meet you, soldier. Take a seat." he said while gesturing to the chairs that had been set out for Viktor and his group.

Next came Demian and Alina. Neither of them did any better than Viktor had done, but the president didn't seem to care about their nervous responses. Everyone's eyes were directed at Giselle anyways. Caelia stepped forward after that and mimicked the handshake that the Russians had done.

"Welcome to Russia, it's good to meet you," he said more for the cameras more than Caelia.

"It's good to meet you too." Caelia's near perfect Russian momentarily shocked everyone in the room, but President Malikov soon recovered.

"I suppose you'll be able to act as a translator then?" he asked with a smile.

Caelia returned her own smile. "If you wish."

The president then moved on to Arpeggio. "Welcome to Russia, I'm glad to meet you."

Arpeggio tried to mimic what Caelia had done, "It good meet too." The mage's Russian was still a work in progress. She quickly sat down in a seat to save herself from any further embarrassment.

The president finally reached Giselle. He offered his hand gingerly to shake, unsure of the proper etiquette with her. Giselle shook his hand without any problems, much to Viktor's relief.

"You must be the religious official." Caelia translated it for Giselle. Viktor could tell that even Malikov was slightly unsure of himself at the moment.

The apostle giggled slightly. "That's one way to say it."

Caelia translated back to Malikov. The president tilted his head in slight confusion before presumably deciding it wasn't important and gestured for Giselle to take a seat.

With everyone seated and the cameras rolling, Malikov got down to business. "Viktor Statnik, Demian Muratov, Alina Sedova, as President of Russia, I'd like to personally welcome you back from the Special Region."

There was a respectful clap from the crowd of reporters. Viktor simply nodded, too afraid to speak incase it was out of line. Demian and Alina followed his lead.

"I would also like to welcome our visitors from the Special Region, for the first time, to our great nation."

There was a louder and more profound clap this time. It seemed that otherworldly visitors were much more popular than simple soldiers. Viktor didn't mind, all the less attention directed on him.

Malikov resumed speaking, "As squad leader, Senior Sergeant Viktor Statnik has distinguished himself during the Liberation of Bellnahgo and in several smaller engagements. He has shown bravery and courage during this conflict, and he has served the motherland well."

Viktor remained silent. He supposed he should have felt prideful, but in truth Viktor was just afraid of making some sort of mistake. The deeds didn't really mean anything to him.

"In recognition for this service, as Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, I would like to award you with the Medal of Suvorov." Malikov stood up and gestured for Viktor to do the same.

An aide gave the president the medal who then proceeded to present it to Viktor. Accepting the medal, Viktor quickly turned back to his seat. He was still deathly afraid of messing something up.

President Malikov returned to his seat and cleared his throat. "Sergeant, I'm curious as to how you found your companions. Would you mind telling us about them?"

Viktor nodded slowly. He started by pointing at Arpeggio. "This is Arpeggio, we recruited her from a city called Rondel because of her knowledge in mineral magic."

"Magic you say?" Malikov looked at Arpeggio intently.

The mage responded by lifting her hand in the air. Taking a deep breath, she conjured a ball of light in her hand and let it sit in the air. Viktor could see the reporters snapping multiple photos of the display.

"I see, carry on please."

Viktor pointed at Caelia. "This is Caelia, she is a wanderer in the Special Region and has traveled throughout the continent. She actually found us and sought out our help against the Empire."

"I am very grateful for Viktor's help so far," Caelia said when the cameras turned to her.

Finally, Viktor pointed to Giselle. "Giselle is what the Saderans call an apostle. She is a servant of the goddess Hardy. We took her with us due to some of her…" Viktor tried to find an appropriate word. "Special abilities."

"Fascinating, I'm am glad to have met all of you."

Caelia spoke for the other Falmartians, "We are also glad to have met you, President Malikov."

The president nodded and looked to his watch. "We're running out of time, but I'd like to finish things up here by accepting a few questions from the press. I'm sure everyone is curious about the Special Region."

Viktor had a moment of panic. He hadn't been told they'd be answering questions. None of them were prepared, everything was going to be off the top of their heads.

One of the reporters began to speak. "This is for Sergeant Statnik, has the Russian military been successful in helping the local populace in the Special Region?"

Viktor gave a short response, "Yes, yes we have."

That wasn't sufficient for the reporter. "Can you name a specific example of this?"

"Well, uh…" Viktor stumbled over his thoughts for a moment. He quickly regained his composure. "In the Empire, there are a massive amount of slaves, when we take control of an area, we free them and ensure they are able to provide for themselves. This is what happened at Bellnahgo."

President Malikov decided to help Viktor out, "The enemy we are fighting has no concept of basic human rights. We estimate that around thirty percent of the Empire's population consists of slaves. These poor souls are abused night and day without rest, and it is our goal to free them from their captors. Next question please."

"This is for all of the Russian soldiers." Viktor took a deep breath when the reporter said that. "We've heard stories of all sorts of fantasy creatures from beyond the gate and, obviously one of your companions here is not human. Are there other species in the Special Region? If so could you list a few you've encountered?"

Viktor looked at Demian and Alina, they both looked to him to start. He sighed before speaking, "Yes, the stories are true. We've encountered a wide variety of demi-humans and entirely different species from beyond the gate. This includes bunny-human hybrids, elves, goblins, and draconians such as my companion here."

Out of the corner of his eye, Viktor could see Demian about to burst. Viktor sighed and gave him permission to speak with a nod.

"Also cat girls!" he said with more enthusiasm than he needed to.

Another journalist stood up to ask a question. "This is for the Special Region guests, what are your views on the Saderan Empire that Russia has gone to war against?"

Caelia practically jumped at the question. "They are a disgusting, backstabbing, and warmongering nation that deserves to be destroyed," she spoke with clear hatred for the Empire.

The journalist clearly hadn't expected such a vehement response. "Would you mind explaining your answer a little?"

Caelia looked directly at the reporter. "My nation was conquered by them. My people were enslaved by them. My family was murdered by them. Do you need anything else?"

"Well I-"

"Have you ever seen an Imperial slave market?"

The reporter was silent.

"Of course you haven't, so let me explain it to you. The Empire conquers other nations in order to gather slaves, these slaves are sent to slave markets to be sold off. Slaves are their master's property, they can be beaten, tortured, killed and much worse. Those who rebel are slaughtered. Even for those who are free, only humans are allowed to live as full citizens, all others are treated like dirt."

Caelia took a deep breath. Viktor could see the passion in her burning.

"The Empire doesn't just benefit off of this institution, it is built on it. Without this system of slavery, the Empire cannot survive. And that is why I believe the Empire should be destroyed."

Viktor was surprised by Caelia's outburst. He knew she was against the Empire, but she'd never told him the extent of it. Out of the corner of his eye, Viktor could see President Malikov smiling.

The president stood. "I believe that will be all for today. Thank you for answering."

* * *

After the meeting with President Malikov, Viktor and his companions were escorted to a hotel to stay at until they were sent back through the gate. Fortunately, Viktor didn't have to share a room with anyone. The government hadn't skimped out on their accommodations.

Viktor had spent the last hour dealing with phone calls from his friends and family. The meeting with President Malikov was national news and he was at the center of it. Everyone now knew where he'd been and what he'd done.

Most of his friends had been asking about the Special Region's different species, one even asked if he'd introduce him to Giselle. Viktor had done his best to answer their questions, but in the end it was too much. Still, it was better than what his mother did.

Viktor's mother had ranted and lectured about how being in the Special Region was too dangerous and that he should try to get transferred elsewhere. While she was ultimately just looking out for Viktor, it was still annoying.

Turning off his phone, Viktor laid onto his bed. He'd successfully gotten through the meeting without making a complete fool of himself. That was a victory worth celebrating. Now that they were in Russia, Viktor could get some real vodka and celebrate properly.

The door to Viktor's room suddenly burst open. Demian came through with a frantic look in his eyes. "Sergeant, you've got to see this!"

 _Just as I was fucking relaxing._ Viktor sat up from his bed. "What the fuck is it?"

"Just come with me!"

With a sigh, Viktor heaved himself off of the bed. He followed Demian down the hallway to another room where everyone else was huddled around a TV. A commercial break was currently playing so Viktor couldn't tell what they were watching. _This better be fucking worth it._

The commercials ended and Itami Yoji's face suddenly filled the screen. _Son of a bitch…_ Itami and his companions were testifying in front of the Japanese Diet about some sort of dragon attack.

Viktor didn't see Kuribayashi at the Diet, it was just Itami and the girls he'd picked up from the Special Region. _I wonder where she's at…_

A knock suddenly sounded out from the door, interrupting Viktor's thoughts. Viktor opened the door, revealing a man dressed in a black suit, presidential security.

"Viktor Statnik?" the man questioned.

"Yes, that's me."

"Report to the international airport with your companions within an hour, another agent will fill you in with the details."

Viktor didn't like last minute changes. "What's this all about?"

The agent looked at him with a blank face. "Pack your bags, sergeant. You're going to Japan."

* * *

Woah, 15 chapters, I didn't think I'd actually ever get this far in the story since I didn't people would be interested enough. I can't thank everyone enough for their encouragement.

rdawamindra: I'll try to slow down the pace from now on, thanks for the criticism. As for the American perspective, I'm still a little conflicted with myself. I might add one in, but I'm not sure.

hellisonfire345: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy it enough to favorite, I think at the time of me writing this the story hit 100 favorites.

Dandaman5: I wrote this specifically because there weren't any good Gate stories with the Russians. I'm glad you like it.

Papon777: Thank you so much, I try to be realistic with my writing.

anonymouse4040: Hi. Thanks!

Another S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Thanks, Giselle and Rory certainly will have more scenes together.

I didn't respond to all the reviews since there is once again a ton of speculation and I don't want to spoil anything, but I do read them all and they encourage me to write more. Thanks for reading.


	16. Chapter 16

Caelia had grown used to the marvels that Russian vehicles were capable of. She'd seen the masses of iron chariots that filled Russian cities. She'd been in a BTR, which was capable of traveling through any terrain. She'd briefly seen the tanks that could smash through anything in their paths. The one thing she hadn't done was ride one of their iron dragons, their aircraft.

Now she was sat strapped into one of their planes. They were going to take flight any moment now.

This was her first experience with flight. While dragon riders weren't uncommon, the ability to tame and train a dragon for riding was tedious, dangerous, and required a good deal of experience. Caelia had long ago chosen not to attempt something like that and stuck to the ground instead.

Their aircraft was spacious, but only had a few seats. They were the only ones on it. Viktor had said something about the president arranging them a private jet, this must have been it. The inside was luxurious with comfortable seats and servants to tend to their needs, it could almost have passed for a room inside an Imperial mansion.

Suddenly, the jet began to accelerate forward. They went faster and faster until finally Caelia could see they'd left the ground. She gained a sinking feeling in her stomach as they continued through the air.

A look of unease must have come across her face, because Viktor looked at her concerned. "All good?"

Caelia swallowed her unease and forced out a smile. "All good."

Viktor shrugged and went back to what he was doing previously. Taking a look out her seat's window, Caelia watched as the city they'd just come from became smaller as they gained altitude. The sight certainly wasn't comforting to her and she quickly looked away.

Seeking any kind of distraction from the fact they were currently flying high above the clouds, Caelia decided talking would be a good way to pass time. Viktor looked to be trying to fall asleep, so she didn't want to bother him. Giselle and Arpeggio were both marveling at how far they'd flown from the ground making them also unsuitable. Finally Demian was engrossed in some sort of book comprised of drawings.

That left Alina to talk to.

Alina had been the one who'd taught her Russian originally. Being the only two women traveling with Viktor's squad, before Giselle was recruited, they'd grown to like each other. Though recently, they hadn't spoken together much.

Caelia decided to start up a conversation, "Is it always like this?"

Alina looked up at Caelia in confusion. "Hmm?"

"Flying. Is flying always this terrifying?" she explained.

The Russian shrugged. "You get used to it after a little. This is actually a lot nicer than most flights."

"Really?" Caelia couldn't imagine something worse than this.

"Normally the plane is much more crowded and everyone's crammed into tiny seats. Sometimes you get stuck next to a screaming baby or someone that's really annoying. Trust me, this is much better," Alina said with a small chuckle.

"I see. Do you fly often?"

"I make a point not to, but sometimes it's unavoidable," Alina replied.

Caelia nodded in understanding. "In Falmart we have to use horses to get everywhere. The trip from Italica to Aquilla Hill would have taken at least a week without your vehicles."

The Russian gave her a questioning look. "Don't you have dragons that you ride? Surely those can travel faster."

"The process for taming a dragon is extremely dangerous and they only allow the person who originally tamed them to ride them. Most people don't risk it," Caelia explained.

Giselle stuck her head up at that. "Taming a common dragon isn't difficult."

"Easy for you to say, you're a draconian," Caelia retorted.

The apostle huffed. "Try taming a Flame Dragon, then you'll know what difficult is…" she muttered out.

"As if you've tamed a Flame Dragon, everyone knows that's impossible." Giselle may have been an apostle, but that didn't mean she could do everything.

Giselle muttered something Caelia couldn't hear before looking back out the plane's window.

Caelia turned back to Alina. "Anyways, I've never tried to tame a dragon, and I don't plan on doing so."

The Russian nodded in understanding. "Fortunately you most likely won't ever have to now that you're with us."

"Just because your aircraft don't try to eat their riders like dragons, doesn't mean that I'm going to be flying. I prefer to keep my feet firmly on the ground." Caelia didn't like many things, flying was one of them.

"That's your choice, I suppose." Alina suddenly had a thought, "Speaking of choices, have you considered trying to learn how to use firearms? It could be useful in the future."

"I…" Caelia didn't really know how to respond. On one hand, it would make her a more useful asset, she often found herself sitting on the sidelines while the Russians fired their guns. On the other hand, she wasn't confident enough in herself to be able to control the gun effectively. She voiced her concerns, "I'm not sure I'd be very good at it."

Alina gave her a reassuring smile. "Come on, it's not very hard. It takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it you'll never go back."

Caelia was still hesitant. "I'm not sure…"

"Once we get back into the Special Region, I can teach you. With my help, you'll be shooting in no time."

"Alright then, only if you teach me," Caelia agreed with a tinge of reluctance.

"It's a deal then." Alina had a wide smile on her face. "It's an eight hour flight, so I'd recommend trying to sleep. You'll need it for when we arrive."

Caelia nodded. "I'll take your advice then."

* * *

The plane landed at the Tokyo International Airport and Viktor's group was quickly carted off into a bus by Japanese security. Viktor didn't speak a lick of Japanese which made everything all the more confusing. Even Demian had to repeatedly ask them to talk slower, he probably only understood around half of what they told him. Despite this, they somehow made it onto the bus without any major problems.

Viktor went over why they were here in his head again. When it was discovered that the Japanese government had recalled Itami back to Japan, President Malikov decided this would be a perfect opportunity to strengthen the two nation's relationship.

From what he'd been told, they were supposed to meet with Itami in front of the Ginza gate. There, they'd take a few pictures shaking hands together in front of a crowd and then proceed to tour Tokyo with their Special Region guests in order to show off Japanese culture. When the day was over, they'd head to a Japanese safehouse where they'd stay the night and then return to Russia the very next day.

The entire trip was supposed to be some sort of publicity stunt showing Russo-Japanese cooperation. Viktor personally thought it was a useless effort, although he wasn't going to complain about free a vacation to Tokyo.

One of the only downsides to said free vacation was that he'd be stuck with Itami and whoever he brought along with him. It wasn't that he had anything major against the man, but his hobbies weren't exactly to Viktor's taste. Not only that, but it also meant he'd have to work on preventing Giselle from attacking Rory and Arpeggio from insulting Lelei.

There wasn't even any guarantee that the only person so far whose company he actually enjoyed, Kuribayashi, was going to be there. Viktor had only seen Itami and the three Falmartians at the Diet, he wasn't sure if there was anyone else there. He hoped either Kuribayashi or someone agreeable was going to be with them, otherwise this free vacation would quickly turn into a nightmare.

As their bus approached Ginza, Viktor began to spot crowds of people gathered around. People frantically ran after the bus as it rolled towards the gate. It seemed that the crowds were waiting for them.

Viktor adjusted his uniform as they got closer. He'd been forced to wear his dress uniform for the occasion, something he hadn't even been required to do when he met the president. Viktor didn't like the uncomfortable clothing, but rules were rules. Apparently it wasn't in good taste to wear his regular uniform to what was technically a diplomatic meeting.

Turning a corner, the gate came into view. It was domed off, similar to the Novinka gate, and the surrounding area was protected by a large barrier. Viktor could see hundreds, maybe thousands of people gathered on the sidewalks. Japanese police officers worked hard to keep the road clear of spectators.

The bus stopped and the Japanese driver gestured for them to get off. Viktor nodded at the man. "Alright, this is our stop." He took a glance out the window at the crowds of people. "We're being watched by the world right now, so don't do anything stupid."

Stepping through the bus' exit, Viktor was immediately bombarded by camera flashes and questions from spectators. The effect was doubled when Giselle walked off the bus.

"Come on! Don't get caught up by the crowd!" he shouted trying to keep the group moving.

With Demian and Alina keeping the Falmartians moving, they were able to push past the initial crowd of people. Viktor decided that going down the middle of the street was probably the safest route and he directed everyone to follow him. They continued towards the gate.

Viktor looked around at the crowds. _Japan sure does love fantasy creatures._ Giselle seemed to be enjoying the attention that was thrusted upon her. Every once in a while she'd do a pose or fly a few meters above the ground just to entice the crowd. No matter what she did, everyone seemed to love it.

Viktor suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He immediately spun around to face whichever spectator had managed to get close to them. Instead, Viktor came face to face with a short woman with brown hair. _Kuribayashi?_ She looked nearly identical to Shino.

The woman jumped back in fear before whimpering out her words, "S-sumimasen! Intabyu dekimasu ka?!"

 _Clearly not Kuribayashi._ Whoever the lookalike was, she didn't have the aggressive nature that Kuribayashi had. Unfortunately, Viktor hadn't understood a word she'd said.

"Sergeant, you've got to follow your own orders, we need to keep moving!" Alina snapped Viktor out of his thoughts.

 _Right, right…_ Viktor stepped away from the woman and started walking forward again. The woman wasn't Kuribayashi, that would be too good to be true.

Continuing forward, Viktor could finally see people gathered in front of the gate. From a distance he couldn't see exactly who was there, but Rory's halberd was unmistakable. Viktor could see Giselle become more serious when she too spotted the other apostle.

"Whatever happens, whoever's there, don't attack them," he reminded the apostle in Saderan.

Giselle huffed, "Fine."

"That goes for you too, Arpeggio." Viktor didn't know if Lelei was there, but he didn't want to take the risk.

The mage rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Viktor hoped their word would be enough to restrain them. He didn't want to think about what could happen if they chose to fight in the middle of a massive crowd. It wouldn't be pretty.

The group walked to where the Japanese group was, with Viktor at the head. He saw Itami, Tuka, Lelei, and Rory. _No Kuribayashi._

"Lieutenant Itami," Viktor greeted in Saderan as they came close to each other.

"Viktor." The man was far less formal than his Russian counterpart.

"Just a few pictures then we leave?"

Itami didn't seem very enthusiastic. "That's the plan."

"Alright, let's get this over with."

Viktor extended his hand and Itami shook it. They held the handshake long enough for most of the spectators to snap a picture of them. It seemed that Viktor was once again going to be all over the news. He didn't really know how to feel about his newfound fame.

Just the handshake felt rather bland to Viktor so he gestured for everyone to come together. The crowd was more interested in Giselle and Rory than they were in Viktor or Itami anyways. More pictures were taken as the crowd screamed in support.

Itami didn't look comfortable with all the attention they were receiving. "I think we should start going now, we're supposed to give you guys a tour of the city."

"Do we have some sort of transport?" The bus that had taken them to the gate was gone.

"Yep!" Itami replied while holding up a several metro tickets.

 _Great… public transport._

* * *

"President Dirrel, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Motoi spoke into the phone while trying to hide his annoyance.

"Prime Minister, I think you know why." The American President had been hounding Motoi to allow more U.S. soldiers into the Special Region. It was something Motoi couldn't allow, the nationalist movement in Japan had grown to such an extent where if he allowed that, he most likely wouldn't keep his position for long.

"You know I can't do that."

"Do you care more about your job or the safety of the nation and the world?" Motoi could practically hear Dirrel's smirk over the phone.

"Allowing more American soldiers through the gate would only make your situation worse. The nationalist party has already tried to pass a motion to terminate the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. It didn't make it through the Diet, but if I allow more Americans into the Special Region they may gain the support they need to pass it."

Dirrel's tone turned dangerous. "Let me make it clear, no matter what that treaty will not be terminated. Where did this sudden rise in even nationalism come from?"

Motoi sighed, he sometimes wondered that himself. "The groups have always been active, but they've never had any large following until the Ginza incident. The deaths caused there made the nationalist parties grow in size, large enough that they managed to get seats in the Diet."

"That doesn't explain how they're any threat to the treaty." Dirrel wasn't a patient man.

"Some people saw the gate as a sign that Japan is destined for greatness, some sort of divine intervention. That bolstered their numbers even further. In addition, when word started coming in about the victories the JSDF were achieving, it only served to encourage the nationalists."

Motoi took a deep sigh. "This combination of factors managed to get them a sizeable following, one that now presents a real threat. If the current government shows anything that can be perceived as weakness, their numbers will only continue to grow until they become a majority in the Diet."

"Even with Russian involvement, you can't allow more Americans in?"

"I was able to get what you have right now in, because of the discovery of Russian forces. Unless they do something directly threatening the JSDF, I doubt I could sell more American soldiers to the Diet. Besides, they've been cooperating with us, much of the initial fear has died down as a result of it." Motoi pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke.

Dirrel was silent for a while. The president was most likely silently fuming about the circumstances. Motoi had to remind himself that Dirrel had his own elections coming up, if he messed up too badly here he wouldn't get reelected.

The American slowly began to speak again, "We have good intelligence that suggests the Chinese are going to be allowed through Novinka sometime in the future. If this happens, could you justify more American soldiers?"

Motoi thought about that for a moment. America wasn't well liked by the nationalist party, but China was absolutely hated. He could certainly, without a single doubt, justify more Americans in that scenario. He wasn't going to let Dirrel know that though.

"I might be able to, only if the American force isn't too large, and I pull a few political favors."

Dirrel wasn't deterred by Motoi's fake uncertainty. "Finally some good news. Thank you for your time, prime minister." The president abruptly hung up.

Motoi sighed, his hair would be completely grey by the end of the year if it kept going at this rate.

* * *

Another chapter for all of you! I can't tell you how much everyone's reviews have been helping me when writing.

rdawamindra: A perspective from Pina and Itami's point of view upon initially entering wouldn't be very different from the original, just a few minor difference with Pina's focus. But as for Motoi and Dirrel, this scene was a little overdue.

jimmin190: Thanks, I'm not going to stop anytime soon.

anonymouse4040: I'm still not decided on the American perspective, I might try and figure out how the poll system works and put it up to vote.

GhostScorch: Yeah, it's been an interesting development. I've been thinking about this scenario for like half a year, but I didn't write anything until recently.

Feerzo 14: I'm actually amazed at how fast this story has grown. You guys are amazing with your support.

Artyom-Dreizehn: The UN will come into play a little later, but for now it's just a Russo-Japanese issue with some American and Chinese support until more nations are allowed in.

Alarick07: My secret is simple, a ton of motivation from my reviewers. Also writing this story is just really enjoyable, I love all the research involved in addition to actually writing the characters and action.

SPQR42: That's the plan.

You know the deal by now, I can't respond to everyone because it's a ton of speculation that I don't want to spoil. But I do read all of them (the speculation is really fun to read).


	17. Chapter 17

Pina groaned as she was taught nearly a century of history in the course of a few hours. When she'd expressed her necessity for learning more about the histories of Japan and Russia, she hadn't expected such detailed records. It seemed like almost everything was well documented and readily available to even the common citizen.

First World War, _Russian Revolution, Soviet Union, Second World War, Stalin, Hirohito, Tojo, Cold War, North and… East Korea?_ She could barely remember all of the information. Most of the dates and events held zero meaning to her. _Where's Vietnam? What's an Afghanistan? What's a "missile" crisis and why is it Cuban?_

Tomita had been very patient with Pina and Bozes' questions, but he clearly was out of his element. From what she could piece together, Russia was once an empire before it became a republic before... becoming another type of republic? She still didn't fully understand what a "Soviet" or a "communist" was.

It was a similar thing with Japan. They were once an Empire, but then a nation called the "Yu-Es-Eh" or more simply "America" defeated them in a war and made them into a republic. The two nations now practiced democracy where they let the people vote to decide their leaders.

Ironically, this was the exact opposite of what had happened in the Empire. Sadera had once been ruled completely and entirely by the Senate with representation for both nobility and commoners. That had ended disastrously, the Empire's policies changed with every election and uneducated masses of peasants were allowed to dictate policies they didn't understand. When the Empire was threatened, a dictator was put in place to take control of the failing republic. That man eventually became the first emperor and things had remained that way ever since.

Pina didn't know the reasoning behind this regression in Russia and Japan. Surely nations with their level of technology and sophistication would be aware of the disastrous effects of democracy. To fall back on such an outdated system of governance was simply insane.

The princess sighed and looked back at the history book she'd been given. With the help of Tomita's language book, she was able to slowly translate the pages for herself. It also helped that the book was filled with paintings that looked incredibly realistic.

Tracing her hand on the page, she slowly read. _Battle of Midway, part of the Second World War._ Pina continued to the bottom of the page. _Battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, part of the American island hopping campaign._

Pina flipped the page and was greeted by two large paintings. One looked to be a large cloud in the shape of a mushroom, the other depicted the ruins of a massive city. _August 6th, 1945._ _The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima._

Her eyes went wide at the images. The destruction depicted was far beyond anything the Empire had ever seen. Even where sacking a city, there wouldn't be that much damage caused. _Did that cloud cause such destruction? Is this the full capability what this world can do?_

Bozes must have noticed her distress. "Princess, are you alright?"

"I-I…" Pina found herself at a loss for words.

Tomita looked up from where he'd been quietly resting. "Is something wrong?"

The princess regained her sense. She pushed the book towards Tomita and slowly asked the question burning on her mind, "What's an atomic bomb?"

Tomita breathed in sharply when she asked the question. He scratched his head for a moment before speaking, "Come with me, I need to show you something."

Pina stood from her seat and followed Tomita. Bozes trailed behind them as they headed towards one of the magic devices she'd learned about, a computer. Tomita pressed a few buttons on the computer before pulling up a moving image.

The image was shaky and had a grainy quality to it, but the label was clear: _Little Boy, 1945_. She watched as a city was destroyed in a matter of seconds. The princess held her head down in respect.

It didn't end there though. A second moving image soon started playing with a different label: _Fat Man, 1945_. In an instant yet another city was obliterated by the weapon. She couldn't see anyone die, but Pina knew that the weapon must have killed thousands.

More moving images played as Pina watched in silence. Although the weapons weren't destroying cities anymore, she could see that the weapons were getting bigger and more dangerous.

Finally, one last moving image played. Another bomb was dropped out of an iron dragon. The subsequent explosion was far bigger than any of the other Pina had seen. The flash covered the entire image and was soon followed by a massive cloud that came from where the bomb was dropped. She immediately looked at the label to see what this monster of a weapon was called: _Tsar Bomba, 1961._

Pina backed away from the computer trembling. If this was what the Japanese and Russians were capable of then the Empire was in a far worse position than she'd thought. _If one of these weapons were dropped on the Imperial Capital…_ Before it was a matter of if Japan or Russia would conquer and subjugate the Empire. Now they were faced with total annihilation.

Tomita turned off the computer and looked at Pina in the eyes. "Those are nuclear bombs, the most destructive weapons our world has ever created."

Pina couldn't get her hands to stay still. She closed her eyes to try and regain any sort of composure before speaking, "Does Japan have access to these weapons?"

Tomita shook his head. "No, we don't."

The princess let out a massive sigh in relief. They weren't going to be annihilated by these weapons. She didn't have to fear the nuclear bomb.

Bozes was similarly relieved. "So there aren't any of these weapons in Falmart?"

Tomita pursed his lips. "Well…"

Pina once more panicked. "Japan doesn't have nuclear bombs, so they can't be in Falmart, right?"

The man chewed on his lip before speaking again, "Japan does not have any nuclear weapons, that is true. But…"

"But what?"

"Russia does."

* * *

Viktor had always despised public transportation. The metro systems in Russia were always very crowded and despite being extremely efficient, Viktor never got used to them. Fortunately, they were using the metro in the middle of a work day, so it wasn't as crowded as it normally would be.

Unfortunately, that didn't mean it was empty either. The crowds that had gathered around the gate dispersed once they started leaving. They'd managed to get away without anyone following them, but the metro had more people than it typically would have during the middle of a week day. Viktor could feel looks and hushed whispers being directed at them.

He still didn't understand why they had to use public transport in the first place. It made very little sense for them not to have their own private transport. The JSDF must have had a drastically smaller budget than the Russian Armed Forces.

Viktor may have been uncomfortable in the metro, but Giselle was practically ecstatic. "We're entering Hardy's realm! This is truly a fantastic invention!" she yelled out in joy.

Rory on the other hand clung to Itami in desperation. "I-I'm not going to marry Hardy! I want to get out!"

Giselle smirked at Rory's distress. "You should prepare yourself for Her Highness. Sooner or later, she'll carry you off as her bride."

"I-Itami, I want out!" she whimpered. Beads of sweat were forming on her face.

Rory's torment only encouraged Giselle. She giggled slightly as she spoke, "You should stop clinging to him like a small child. You're to be Hardy's wife, it's not proper etiquette for you to touch a man like him."

Viktor found it ironic that she was lecturing Rory on clinging to Itami when Giselle had previously done the same thing to himself. There seemed to be a trend of apostles getting attached to humans.

"Taii-cho." Viktor turned to find one of Itami's squad mates, Tomita, walking towards them.

Kuribayashi was by his side. She was wearing casual clothing rather than a military uniform, it looked good on her. Viktor grew a faint smile, at least it wasn't just Itami and his otaku nature to keep them company during the trip. The vacation wouldn't be so bad now that he had assurance someone agreeable was with them.

That smile faded when he noticed the other two people walking with them. The Imperial Knight, Bozes, and the Imperial Princess, Pina Co Lada. Viktor suddenly felt naked without his Kalashnikov or pistol on him. _Why the fuck are they here?_

Viktor hadn't left on the best of terms with the princess. He still wasn't sure if she had sent her knight as an assassin or a seductress, but either way it was bad. This was exactly what was needed to turn what was looking to be a nice vacation into an utter mess.

Viktor immediately grabbed Itami and shoved him up against a wall. "What the fuck is an Imperial Princess doing in Tokyo?" he asked while gritting his teeth.

Itami winced at the sudden aggression and raised his hands up in defense. "I don't know! My higher ups just decided I had to take them with me, it wasn't my decision!"

Viktor grumbled and backed away from the man. So much for a free vacation to Tokyo, now it was just a nightmare. He adjusted his dress uniform back into place, Viktor wished they'd been allowed to wear casual clothing.

It seemed Viktor wasn't the only one unhappy with the situation. Caelia sat in one of the seats staring daggers into the Imperial Princess. She hadn't acted yet, but Viktor wasn't sure how long she'd be able to keep her calm. He certainly hoped it was longer than Viktor had.

Viktor sat down into one of the seats and closed his eyes while letting out a deep sigh. Not only did he have to prevent Rory and Giselle from tearing out each other's throats, but now he also had to reign in Caelia's anger.

At least Arpeggio and Lelei weren't trying to kill each other. In fact the two mages seemed to almost be having a friendly conversation. It was something about Earth's technology, Viktor didn't have enough energy to listen.

Someone brushed up against his side. Opening his eyes, he saw that Kuribayashi had taken the seat next to him. He stretched before sitting up in his seat a little more.

"The captain do something to piss you off?" she asked.

Viktor shook his head. "Nothing that he had control over."

She raised an eyebrow. "That's a first, usually he's the source of all our problems."

"Not this time I guess," he said with a shrug. "Itami causes a lot of problems?"

"When we were fighting at Italica, he made us follow Pina's orders despite her sending us on a suicide mission. Then later on, he wouldn't let us reinforce the area where the main attack was without orders, until Rory forced him to."

Viktor had to admit, that did sound bad. He chose to follow the orders of the princess of an enemy nation then also refused to act on his own when said princess didn't give orders. Though he probably didn't have the full story, from what Kuribayashi had said he wasn't a great leader.

"How did he get a position in leadership? Shouldn't someone more qualified have gotten it?"

"He's the Hero of Ginza, that's how," she said with a bit of venom in her voice.

"The Hero of Ginza?" Viktor had no clue what that meant.

Kuribayashi actually looked a bit surprised. "Didn't you watch the news? During the Ginza Incident he saved a bunch of people and helped local police. A few days later he was made Hero of Ginza and Nijuubashi for his actions, and promoted to First Lieutenant."

Viktor scratched his head. "I think we were preparing to enter Novinka when that happened, we weren't allowed to have contact with the outside world."

Putting her head in her hands, Kuribayashi let out a sigh. "Everything Itami achieves is insane. Not only is team leader, he's also a Ranger and a member of the Special Forces Group."

"Itami's special forces?" Viktor couldn't imagine that. He remembered the spetsnaz operatives his squad had rescued, Itami was absolutely nothing like them.

Kuribayashi looked up from her hands and groaned, "Somehow he is…"

"You seem like a better fit for special forces than someone like Itami," Viktor mused.

Her demeanor completely changed when he mentioned that. "You think so?" she asked with a glimmer of hope.

"Well anyone would be better than Itami," he said with a laugh. Kuribayashi's face became downturned and Viktor realized his mistake. "But you're a better fit than anyone else."

She grew a broad smile. "Thanks."

"Now me personally." Viktor made a gesture towards himself while smirking. "I was born to be spetsnaz."

* * *

Kuribayashi rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

They got off at Shinjuku station. Viktor was in a much better mood after talking with Kuribayashi for the remaining ride. He didn't know how she did it, but that was twice now that she'd taken him out of a poor mood.

As soon as the doors opened, Rory bolted off and ran for fresh air, knocking down several bystanders. Giselle openly laughed at her before slowly making her way to the exit, savoring every moment of the underground. Everyone else made their way to the exit in an orderly fashion, though Viktor had to make sure Caelia wasn't going to try and shove Pina into the tracks.

As they exited the station, Viktor spotted a woman with brown hair eagerly waving at Itami. "Senpai!"

Viktor looked towards Demian in confusion. "Is Itami famous?"

"I… maybe?" Demian was equally as confused as Viktor was.

"He's the Hero of Ginza I guess…" Viktor muttered out.

Alina chirped up, "Maybe she's one of Itami's friends?"

"Who the fuck addresses their friend as senpai?" Viktor mused.

Demian gave an awkward laugh, prompting Viktor and Alina to stare at him.

"Please don't tell me that you do that…" Viktor knew Demian loved anime, but that was just too far.

Demian took a sudden interest in his shoes.

"Never call me that please," Alina said with a look of disappointment on her face.

Viktor sighed. "Right, let's just keep going."

While they'd been talking, Itami had gone up to the woman and began speaking with her in Japanese. Though he didn't understand anything being said, the woman and Itami were clearly familiar with each other.

Viktor approached Itami from behind. "Who's this?" he asked in Saderan.

"Oh, this is my ex-wife, Risa," Itami replied.

Viktor had to do a double take at that. _Someone married Itami?_ _I guess there's a person out there for everyone, even an otaku like him._

"I didn't believe it at first either," Kuribayashi said from the side.

"I uh…" Viktor brought himself out of his shock. "So what are we doing now?"

Itami stretched. "We're supposed to tour Tokyo and 'show them a good time' so I guess that means whatever we want. There's a lot of us so why don't we split up?"

Risa suddenly jumped up. "Okaimono ika! Shibuya! Harajuku!"

Viktor looked to Demian for help. "What did she say?"

"She wants to go shopping," he translated.

"That's… I'll just stay away from that." Viktor had a once in a lifetime opportunity to enjoy a free vacation to Tokyo, he wasn't going to waste it.

Itami resumed speaking in Saderan, "So Risa is taking the girls to go shopping. Anyone want to come with me to Akihabara?"

Demian's hand shot up. "Oh! I'll go with you! I can finally get the newest edition of Mei-Com!"

"What about you, Tomita?" Itami asked.

"Bozes says she and Pina wish to study more of the world's history, I'll take them to a library."

"The books we gave her weren't enough, eh?" Itami directed his attention to Viktor, "What are you going to do?"

In truth he didn't know where to go in Tokyo. It was such a large city and he'd never read up on where to visit. "Well, I don't-"

Kuribayashi cut him off, "He's coming with me. We're going to check out the local dojos."

Caelia looked up. "That sounds better than shopping, I'll go with you."

"Alright then," Viktor said with a shrug. He looked to the last undecided person in their group. "Where are you going, Alina?"

"Well, I've never really liked shopping and Akihabara is out of the question, so I guess I'll come with you," she said with indifference.

"Then let's go!" Itami yelled.

* * *

Researching the history of Japan and Russia wasn't an enjoyable task, but it was necessary if Pina was to prevent the Empire's destruction. Though she wanted to look at the strange art she'd found at Risa's house, this was far more important. Pina sighed and buried her head into another book.

This book was about the modern history of Russia, it focused on the events that happened after what was known as the Cold War. Pina traced her hand across the timeline of events. _Dissolution of the Soviet Union, Constitutional Crisis of 1993, First Chechen War, Dagestan War, Second Chechen War, Russo-Georgian War, Annexation of Crimea, Election of President Malikov._ Pina rubbed her eyes trying to keep reading.

In great contrast to the Japanese, it seemed like the Russians had been fighting war after war with no stop. She was beginning to realize that Japan was not the great power she'd initially thought them to be. Instead they were more akin to one of the vassal kingdoms aligned with the Empire.

Russia, on the other hand, was a far greater threat than she could have ever imagined. They had weapons capable of destroying the entire world, and they nearly did just that during their Cold War. Both nations were a threat, but Russia was clearly the greater one.

Unfortunately, Russia was also the one that refused to negotiate.

Pina had intended to broach the topic of negotiation with Viktor, but the man had reacted with hostility when he saw them. She didn't want to make relations worse than they already were, so she chose to keep her distance. There was no reason for him to react so violently to her, the mercenary must have gotten into his head.

Caelia had been an ever growing problem for Pina's efforts in diplomacy. The woman was from Vitus, an Imperial agricultural province that had been conquered relatively recently. She despised the Empire for reasons that made little sense.

Vitus was doing better under Imperial rule than it had been while they were a vassal kingdom. The province was now one of the Empire's major grain contributors and it prospered because of it. Yes, her family was executed, but it was because they broke the clearly stated Imperial law. No one gets to disobey the law without fair punishment.

Caelia just wouldn't accept that though.

Pina sighed, it was impossible to reason with those who refused to accept change. She just hoped the Russians wouldn't believe Caelia's story and instead chose to accept reason.

* * *

"So what are we here for?" Viktor followed Kuribayashi as they walked through the doors to a martial arts dojo.

"Just a little friendly spar before getting something to drink," she replied nonchalantly.

Caelia looked around at the dojo. "Is this where your warriors train?"

"No, not most of them anyways," Alina said while also observing the dojo.

It was mostly empty, only a few people were working to the side. Viktor hadn't ever gotten into any sort of martial art, but he'd done wrestling while in school. During basic training, he'd gone through hand to hand combat drills like everyone else, that was the extent of his martial arts experience. This was all new to him.

Kuribayashi threw Viktor a pair of gloves, a padded helmet, and workout clothes. "Get out of your fancy stuff and put those on."

He complied with her orders and headed into a changing room. It felt good to ditch the dress uniform. Kuribayashi had produced the workout clothes from somewhere Viktor didn't want to or was willing to question. He was fairly certain they were clean at least.

Strapping on the helmet, Viktor walked out to find Kuribayashi was waiting for him. She had a wide grin on her face.

"Just a friendly spar?" he asked while adopting the stance he'd been taught in basic training.

"Yep!" she said with the grin never leaving her face.

 _Right…_ Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Caelia and Alina lining up to do the same thing. Kuribayashi promptly took advantage of his distraction and socked him in the face.

Viktor wasn't expecting that and he stumbled backwards, bringing his guard up to prevent any further blows. That only prompted a jab to his stomach.

Regaining his senses, Viktor tried to throw a punch at her head. It was immediately blocked by Kuribayashi who countered with her own punch to his nose.

 _God damn she's fast._

Another blow impacted his face, causing Viktor to become extremely disorientated. Immediately another punch hit him in the side of his torso.

Viktor couldn't keep this up.

Acting on pure instinct, Viktor charged forward, taking several blows to the torso. He tackled Kuribayashi who was unprepared for his sudden action. Grappling with her, he was able to use his superior size to his advantage and get on top of her.

Kuribayashi acted like a rabid dog, and tried anything that would get the man off of her. Viktor took several blows to the face before he was able pin down Kuribayashi's arms and retaliated with a few of his own punches.

Eventually she stopped struggling. Despite her clearly superior skill, Viktor's size and weight was able to triumph. It certainly didn't feel like a victory though.

Rolling off of Kuribayashi, Viktor laid on his back gasping from exhaustion. His torso and face were in pain from the multiple blows he was too slow to defend against. _That was a friendly spar?_

"Shino... I don't see what was friendly about that," Viktor said while still panting.

Kuribayashi stood up and looked down on him. "It was with a friend, that's what made it friendly."

He stared at her with an incredulous look on his face. "Do you always beat the crap out of your friends?"

"Just the ones I like well enough," she said with her grin returning. "Come on, let's get a drink," Kuribayashi said while offering her hand.

Viktor stared for a moment longer before finally grabbing her hand. "A drink sounds fucking fantastic about now."

* * *

"Prime Minister Motoi, it's wonderful to see you again." Malikov shook hands with the Japanese leader.

Motoi nodded politely. "The same with you, President Malikov. It must have been a long flight to Tokyo, I hope you enjoy your stay here."

Both of their translators stood next to them rapidly communicating what the other leader had said. Malikov chose to take the initiative and sat down in his seat. Motoi sat down soon after.

"Let's skip formalities, shall we?" Motoi wanted to get down to business.

Malikov had similar desires. "I couldn't agree more."

The Japanese man took a deep breath before continuing, "With both Russian and Japanese soldiers in the Special Region, we need to establish some sort of cooperation or at very least boundaries to ensure no accidents happen. Conflict between our two forces would be disastrous."

"Let's start with boundaries then," Malikov said with a sly smile. "I assume you are familiar with the geography and cities of the Special Region?"

"I've looked over several maps, yes."

"Excellent. Now obviously, the two gates will be controlled solely by their respective owners."

"Obviously," Motoi muttered.

Malikov continued, "In addition, as Bellnahgo is considered a federal subject of Russia, that area will also be governed by Russia."

Motoi nodded slowly. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"The city of Rondel has already been approached by our diplomats, they too are considering becoming a federal subject of Russia. Due to this, that area will be governed by Russia until they make their decision."

There was a sharp inhale from Motoi. "Surely they should be left alone until a decision is made."

"Unfortunately, Russian forces have already begun using it as a resupply point. It would be a major hassle to stop this. Don't worry, we'll respect their decision no matter what they choose."

Motoi strongly suspected he was lying, but he didn't wish to cause hostility with him. Russian forces had already advanced beyond that point anyways, no matter what he did they wouldn't be giving it up.

"I think all unexplored regions of the Empire should become neutral ground where both our forces are permitted to enter. We can establish radio contact to prevent any sort of conflict between our forces," Malikov suggested.

"A good plan, I agree."

"That only leaves the city of Italica." Motoi could see Malikov's ambition through his mask of niceties and politeness. "The city is a major crossroads, perhaps we should divide the city between our forces."

That was too far for Motoi. "Absolutely not, Italica was taken by the JSDF it will be controlled by Japan."

"Well surely we could-"

"That is final."

Malikov conceded, "Fine then, at least allow Russian forces access through the city and the ability to use it to resupply."

Motoi knew that would be the best he'd get. "Agreed."

Malikov stood from his seat. "Then I believe this meeting to be over."

"We are of the understanding that this will not be released to the public?" Motoi couldn't let the nationalist party know just how much territory he'd conceded.

"Why of course, Prime Minister. I wouldn't have it any other way." Malikov smiled and shook Motoi's hand.

Motoi brushed his greying hair as Malikov exited the room. He had probably just made a mistake.

* * *

This is the longest chapter so far (which just goes to show how short my chapters normally are). I've been trying to put out longer chapters recently.

jimmin190: The Americans are coming through the gate (though not in large numbers yet) since it would be too unrealistic for them not to. I'll try to make the American forces more akin to how they act in real life rather than anime.

rdawamindra: You have some very good suggestions. Though I don't always use them, they influence my decisions and help me write new ideas. And for Alina, I'm thinking of doing more stuff with her and Caelia.

last admiral: The woman who criticized the JSDF at the diet was most likely left leaning (it's never explicitly stated), but that doesn't mean the nationalists aren't a threat to Motoi's interests. Motoi being a centrist leaning right (basing this off of Japan's current ruling political party) both radical sides are a threat.

anonymouse4040: Good job comrade, for the motherland.

papon777: Thanks! I'm actually surprised how many people like this.

Artyom-Dreizehn: That's a good point that I intend to incorporate later on (probably when they find the slaves).

C V Ford: I'm glad your still reading, I'll keep writing.

Evowizard25: You're correct that the aggressive tactics do cause long term damage, but I'd like to point out this damage can be repaired fairly quickly. Taking Germany after WW2 for an example, after 1945 it took them around a decade to recover to the point where unemployment was so low that immigrants actually came to Germany looking for work. So while it's true as you've pointed out that the people will probably suffer, it's not permanent. Also I try to put character that don't get much screen time into my story such as Giselle and Arpeggio (though I haven't done Arpeggio justice yet). They're pretty interesting characters that get over shadowed by the main ones. Anyways, I'm glad you like the story and appreciate the detailed review.

As always, I didn't respond to every review, just the ones that I felt like I could without revealing anything big, but I do read all reviews.


	18. Chapter 18

Vodka, every Russian's favorite drink. Viktor hadn't had the pleasure of drinking any since they'd left for Novinka. While Oryol Base may have managed to get its kitchens up and running, Viktor's squad had been living off of IRPs for far longer than was recommended. The unfortunate side effect of this was they weren't able to get any vodka. Saderan ale may have been decent, but it was no replacement for Russian vodka.

Viktor carried out a bottle as he exited the store behind him, he wasn't going to be stuck with Japanese sake for the evening. Kuribayashi carried a bag of her own selection of drinks while Alina and Caelia trailed behind them. They were headed towards their meeting place with Itami at Shinjuku Station.

He still felt sore from the beating Kuribayashi had given him. She was very clearly skilled in hand to hand combat, much more so than Viktor. While his size and weight may have been able to beat out her skill while sparring, he had to admire the expertise Kuribayashi was capable of. She was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

Viktor wished he had the opportunity to work with her more often. Not only was she deadly, Kuribayashi was also pleasant to be around. She was by far the most agreeable JSDF soldier he'd met, it was a shame she wasn't Russian.

Maybe command would pair their squads up together in the future. This entire trip was about Russo-Japanese relations, maybe they'd take it a step further and have them cooperate in the Special Region. Viktor smiled at the thought.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when they neared Shinjuku Station. The first Viktor saw as they approached the meeting point was Demian struggling under the weight of what he'd bought. What looked to be hundreds of manga books were piled up in his arms while Demian tried to keep them steady. Clearly he'd had a productive day.

Demian wasn't alone, Viktor could see that Risa and the girls had bought their own collection of items. Arpeggio and Lelei alone were carrying enough books to fill a library while Rory and Giselle had bags of what Viktor assumed was clothing. Viktor shook his head with a sigh.

"Where are we going now?" he questioned Itami.

The man smiled. "We're staying at the Hakone hot springs for the night. The government wants our visitors to get a good impression of Japan."

Viktor raised an eyebrow. _That doesn't sound too bad._ It would be nice to relax after a long day. He spoke with a grin on his face, "After you then."

Itami raised his fist into the air. "Okay, off to the hot springs!"

The others cheered in excitement, Viktor couldn't help but join them.

* * *

It was about an hour ride to Hakone. During the time, the environment shifted drastically from the cityscape of Tokyo. Heavily forested with not a person in sight, the inn they were going to stay at was as isolated as it could be. Viktor found a little peace in that thought.

Built in traditional Japanese style, the inn wasn't like anything the Falmartians had seen. Truth be told, it wasn't like anything the Russians had seen either. The sliding doors, paper walls, and tiled roofs were things that only existed on television in Russia, but now Viktor got to see it first hand.

Suffice to say, he was impressed.

Walking up to the front door, the Viktor continued to admire the Japanese architecture. He still couldn't believe they were actually going to stay in such a nice place, usually all they got was some sort of barracks. _I guess they really want to show off the best Japan has to offer._

Viktor opened the door to the inn. The inside was comfortable and homely, two things Viktor hadn't been able to experience in a while. Demian came in after him carrying his pile of manga.

"Woah, I could get used to this…" he said while staring around.

Viktor nodded before responding, "We've got a night of luxury lined up for us."

The others trickled into the building. There were two separate rooms for men and women so the group divided themselves into their respective genders. Laying down on one of the bedrolls, Viktor let himself sink into the cushion.

"Why don't we get quarters like this everywhere we go?" Demian complained.

Viktor turned his head towards Demian. "Because they typically don't have hot springs in combat zones, especially not the Special Region."

"The JSDF has portable bathes set up at Alnus," Itami pitched in.

Demian turned his head at that. "What? We're lucky if we get showers."

"Stop complaining and enjoy what you have while you have it," Viktor advised.

There was a period of silence that followed as the men settled down.

Viktor suddenly had a thought. "Hey, Tomita."

The man sat up from his bedroll. "Hmm?"

"What did the princess want to study at the library? I didn't take her for an avid reader."

Tomita scratched his head before replying, "They wanted to study history."

"History?"

"I think it was Russian and Japanese history specifically," he clarified.

Viktor immediately realized what they had done. They were gathering information on their enemies, espionage. This wasn't good for anyone. "You just let them have that information?"

Tomita shrugged. "It was public information."

Viktor grumbled, the Japanese were too lax on their security. Allowing the princess to gain knowledge on Russia and Japan meant that they'd lose the upper hand in terms of intelligence. He just hoped they didn't manage to get too in depth.

"Hey sergeant, this place is a hot spring, yeah?" Demian interrupted the conversation.

"Yes. What does it matter?"

The Russian stood from his bedroll. "Well, why are we relaxing here when there's a perfectly good spa waiting for us outside?"

Viktor moved himself onto his feet and stretched. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

* * *

Caelia stared in amazement at the enormous bath. It was more hot water than even the massive baths at the Imperial Palace. The Japanese had apparently turned a lake into a bath, something she'd never thought possible.

"Before you go in, make sure you wash yourselves!" Kuribayashi instructed them.

Rory tried to protest and head in anyways, but Kuribayashi held her back. Caelia decided to follow the instructions and headed over to the wash area. There was some sort of metal rod hanging over a wooden stool. Caelia scratched her head as she tried to figure out how it worked.

"Watch where you step, mercenary!" Princess Pina collided with Caelia as she was distracted by her thoughts.

"Maybe you should use your eyes, or are you just as blind as your father?" Caelia snapped.

Pina pressed her lips together. "Don't talk of things you're too ignorant to understand, peasant."

Caelia clenched her fists. She'd left her sword in the other room, now she was wishing she hadn't parted with it. "Ignorant?! I doubt you know a sliver of what happens outside of your fancy palace!"

"What would you know of royalty?" Pina's face had long turned red with anger. "You're just the daughter of a criminal!"

Caelia marched up to Pina and looked her straight in the eye. "What the fuck do you know about my father?!"

"Only that he's a dirty felon that deserved what he got!"

"Don't fucking talk about him!" Caelia shoved Pina backwards. "You have no god damned clue about you're saying!"

It was at that point that Kuribayashi tried to step in. She got between them and stretched out her hands to keep them separated. "Let's just be calm here, we don't need any violence."

Pina stepped around Kuribayashi. "No good criminal scum like your father deserve to hang! I bet he passed on his bandit tendencies onto you as well!"

"FUCK YOU!" Caelia tackled Pina, not caring about anyone or anything around her.

Years of battle experienced matched up against years of knightly training. Caelia had never had a proper teacher, all of her skill came from experience and plenty of mistakes, but she'd fought in more than her share of battles. Pina on the other hand had probably been trained by one of the best knights in the Empire, something her father's influence could afford her.

As a result, the two were fairly even in their skill levels.

Having initiated the attack, Caelia started off with an advantage against Pina. She was quick to capitalize on the princess' apparent shock and started to strangle Pina by the neck.

Pina recovered from her surprise and grabbed onto Caelia's hand to loosen her grip. Despite this, she could break the mercenary's iron hold. Caelia continued to choke the princess despite her desperate attempts to break free.

The princess' strength began to fade when suddenly Bozes charged Caelia off of her. Determined to protect her princess, the knight pushed Caelia against a nearby wall.

Seething with anger, the mercenary jammed both of her thumbs into Bozes' eyes, forcing the woman off of her. She jabbed the knight in her stomach before advancing on her.

Caelia suddenly felt an arm wrap around her throat and her movement become restricted. "Stop this insanity before you kill each other!" Alina spoke harshly into her ear.

Kuribayashi was holding Pina and Bozes back, effectively stopping the fight. Caelia tried to struggle against Alina's hold, but the woman refused to let go. She sank into Alina's hold, giving up.

The door into the inn was suddenly burst open by Viktor and Itami. "What the fuck is going on h-"

Both men abruptly averted their eyes from the women. It was only then that Caelia realized her towel had fallen off during the fight. The same had happened to Pina and Bozes.

"We uhh… heard fighting over here…" Viktor struggled out.

Kuribayashi wasn't fazed. "It's all fine here."

"I… alright then." Viktor awkwardly shuffled his way back through the door with Itami. Caelia could see Kuribayashi eyeballing Viktor as he exited. They shut it firmly leaving the women to deal with their problems.

Kuribayashi returned her gaze to Pina and Bozes. "If I let you go, you'd better behave. Understand?" The princess nodded and Kuribayashi let her go free.

Alina gave Caelia a similar demand. With no other option, she had no choice to accept and was promptly let free.

Caelia brushed herself off and retrieved her towel from where it had flown off. She moved in silence as Bozes and Pina did the same.

Risa, who'd sat through the entire fight silently, suddenly chirped up, "See, everything turned out fine! I can even use this in my doujins!"

Caelia sighed in frustration. _That stupid fucking princess._

* * *

"This is bliss," Itami said as he settled into the hot spring.

Demian released a sigh as he sank into the water. "You're right… I could stay here all night."

"I don't know how anyone could fight in a place like this," Tomita said, referring to the fight that happened in the women's area.

Viktor looked up from his relaxation. "What do you think they were fighting about?"

"Who knows, but it sounded pretty nasty," Itami replied.

"I think Caelia and Pina just don't like each other." Tomita shrugged.

Viktor nodded. "I can understand why."

"Let's just hope it doesn't happen again," Itami muttered.

A silence settled over the men as they de-stressed in the hot water. Viktor wanted to savor every moment of it. The weeks of stress, caused by dealing with Imperial ambushes and managing the squad's conflicts, came undone in the hot spring. Itami was right, it was utter bliss.

"What do you think's going to happen to the Empire?" Demian broke the silence with his question. "I mean like once this is all over."

Itami shrugged his shoulders. "The higher ups are probably going to negotiate some sort of peace treaty and that'll be the end of it. Maybe we'll stay to help them out in the future."

Viktor couldn't help but snort in amusement. "You think there's just going to be peace just like that?"

"Well, why not?" Itami asked with a confused look.

"How about the slaves they captured from Novinka and Ginza?" Demian brought up.

Tomita scratched his head in confusion. "They captured slaves from Earth?"

"They did from Novinka at least," Viktor confirmed. "A large chunk of the population was captured. I assume the same thing happened at Ginza."

"Well even if they did, surely they could just return the slaves." Itami once more displayed his ignorance of the situation.

Viktor snorted again. "I doubt that'll happen. Besides, even if it did that wouldn't be enough to forgive them for all the deaths they've caused. If you ask me, I don't think the Empire's going to last for much longer."

Itami sighed. "We can only wait, I guess."

* * *

Caelia was still angry at the Imperial bitch. She represented everything Caelia hated about the Imperial family, yet she wasn't allowed to bludgeon her face in like Caelia wanted to do. Instead she had to settle for silently glaring at her from across the hot spring.

"So… Kuribayashi, got any interesting stories about romance or something?" Risa tried to break the tension between Caelia and Pina.

Kuribayashi played along. "Hmm, let me see… I think Tomita has the hots for Bozes."

The distraction worked and Bozes gained a startled look. "What?"

"What do you think?" Bozes grew red in the face. "Of course you noticed, right?"

She began to mutter out excuses, "Knights are forbidden from engaging in such relationships… And I have my family and position to consider…"

Pina stopped glaring at Caelia and jumped onto Bozes. "Don't say things like that here!"

"Princess!"

The two struggled with each other while Pina pressured Bozes into revealing herself. Kuribayashi had managed to distract them from the conflict that had just taken place. She turned to Caelia.

"You know, Alina has been getting rather close to you."

Caelia blinked in surprise. She couldn't come up with a response for that. Thankfully Alina saved her, "You're one to talk. Getting close with the sergeant I see."

Kuribayashi laughed. "So what? He's the only real man around here."

Caelia could feel Giselle stride across the hot spring to Kuribayashi. "What's this about Viktor?"

"Nothing, just that he's the only man around here with real strength," she said with a grin.

Giselle nodded stiffly. "I agree." Caelia could hear the strain in her voice.

"You're not interested in him too, are you?" Kuribayashi questioned.

"No," she said curtly and then proceeded to walk out of the hot spring.

Caelia could only shake her head.

* * *

Viktor exhaled before he drank his first sip of vodka that night. It had been too long since he'd last had a proper Russian drink. Tomita looked at him from the corner of their room probably wondering where he'd gotten the drink.

Viktor raised up the bottle. "Want some?"

"No thanks," he said with a look of uncertainty.

"Sergeant, pass the bottle," Demian demanded. Viktor hand her the vodka and he promptly took his own swig.

Itami spoke up, "I'll have some."

Viktor raised an eyebrow, he hadn't expected Itami to be interested in drinking. He passed the drink to Itami. The man tried to copy what Viktor and Demian had done, breathing out before taking a drink, but as soon as the liquid went down his throat, Itami began to cough.

"How do you drink this stuff?"

Viktor chuckled and took the bottle back. "You're just weak."

Itami laid back on the floor with a grin. "That might be true, but you Russians are crazy." He suddenly groaned. "I want to stay here until the end of the year! I want to forget about work!"

"I know the feeling…" Demian muttered.

"You know that's impossible," Tomita sighed out.

The door into their room was suddenly shoved open. All the men immediately scurried to their feet to face the intruders. Kuribayashi and Rory stood in the doorway. Both women had flushed faces and stumbled as they moved. They were drunk, very drunk.

"You men! You're coming with us!" Kuribayashi swayed as she yelled at them.

Rory echoed her, "You're coming with us!"

Viktor and Demian looked at each other with wide eyes. Rory had to physically grab Itami and start dragging him through the door before the men began to follow them. Viktor looked at the bottle of vodka he had in his hands and decided to leave it behind. They didn't need to deal with more drunk people.

Kuribayashi and Rory led them into the women's room. Inside, Viktor spotted several bottles of sake lying around the room. Risa, Tuka, Arpeggio and Lelei were lounging around the room while Giselle paced about. Viktor spotted Caelia sharpening her sword with Alina keeping a tight watch on her. Pina and Bozes were drinking their fair share of sake.

"What the hell is going on here…?" Viktor wondered aloud.

Demian was equally as confused. "I don't know."

"V-Viktor!" Pina scrambled to her feet. "I'd like to express my dearest wishes towards your-"

Caelia stood up, sword in hand. "Be quiet, you Imperial bitch!"

Alina gave Viktor a pleading look. This had clearly been going on for a long time.

"Go to hell, criminal!"

Viktor stepped in front of Pina to shield her from any violence Caelia might try. He tried to get her to calm down, "Caelia, put down the sword."

"Out of my way!" She marched forward, refusing to lower the blade.

Both Alina and Demian grabbed Caelia from behind. They quickly secured her sword arm and forced her to release the weapon from her grasp. Dragging her with them, the Russians exited the room in order to separate Caelia from the princess.

Pina cleared her throat. "Now that the criminal's dealt with…" Viktor frowned at her attitude towards Caelia. "I'd… I'd…"

The princess stumbled backwards, clearly having had too much to drink. Viktor sighed and walked away from her, leaving Pina giggling with Bozes.

He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Kuribayashi nearly tumbled into him as he turned around. _Why the fuck is everyone so drunk?_

"Viktor, y-you should come with me," she stumbled over her words in her drunken state.

"I uhh-" Viktor didn't get a chance to formulate his response as she quite literally stumbled into his arms.

Looking around for help, most of the others were either asleep or too drunk to help him. Only Rory fully awake, but he didn't want to ask her for help. Unsure of what to do, Viktor gently laid Kuribayashi onto one of the bedrolls and stepped away from her.

Taking a deep breath, Viktor found his own spot on the floor to sleep and laid down. This vacation had been fun, but oddly he wished he was back in the Special Region right now. They'd be on a plane to Russia in the morning, then it was back to work. Viktor couldn't wait.

* * *

Morning came with lots of moaning and complaints about headaches. Viktor was quick to gather Demian and Alina together so they could get their guests into presentable shape. He wanted to get out of Japan as soon as possible. Despite this, Kuribayashi had other plans.

"Viktor wait."

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry about last night," she apologized in a very uncharacteristic manner. "I had a little too much to drink."

"A little too much?"

"Shut up before I beat you up again," Kuribayashi snapped. _That's more like her._

"Viktor, our ride is here!" Alina shouted from outside.

He started to back out the door. "I've got to go now."

"Wait!" Kuribayashi rushed forward to him. "Just so we can keep in contact with each other." She handed him a scrap of paper with a series of numbers scribbled on it.

"Viktor hurry up!" Alina shouted at him again.

He quickly shoved the paper into one of his pockets and backed his way out the door. Viktor waved a goodbye before sprinting to the van that was waiting for him. It was time to go back to the Special Region.

* * *

Alright, I've got to be honest this isn't my proudest chapter. I don't really feel this chapter is very good, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out a way to make it better. These kind of scenes aren't really what I'm good at so I apologize for any cringe you experienced, next chapter will be more scenes of stuff I'm good at. I finished this last Sunday and spent all week trying to make it better, but I just couldn't, so sorry for the bad chapter.

theaxgame: The Bellnahgo militia is mostly just meant to be a police force while the Russian fight the real battles, though your idea is interesting so I might try and incorporate something like that in.

There's only one question here and I don't really feel like accepting any praise after delivering this chapter so that's that. I read all of the reviews and thank you for all of them as always.


	19. Chapter 19

Viktor sat behind a line of sandbags aiming at his target down the firing range. It was something every soldier had to do every once in a while to ensure their sights were still accurate, but there was one thing that made Viktor stand out from the others at the range. He wasn't looking at the target.

"Fucking magic…" Viktor muttered in amazement.

He was using a new thermal sight on his AK-12. It hadn't been issued to standard troops yet, but Viktor's squad had been receiving special treatment ever since they met the president.

The main feature of the new sight was that its thermal sensors were capable of detecting the body heat of a soldier over a thousand meters away and could easily see soldiers through foliage. That would be particularly useful for longer ranged firefights.

One of its secondary features was that, through the use of a helmet mounted eye piece, Viktor was able to see everything through the sight without actually looking through it. That was how Viktor was currently putting rounds through his target without actually looking at it. The whole thing was magic in his opinion.

Viktor emptied his magazine and stood up from his crouched position. Viktor had a huge grin on his face. This new sight was amazing to him, it was something straight out of science fiction. Alas, he couldn't stay at the range all day, he had to make sure his squad was doing alright.

Walking up to their assigned barracks, he spotted two people he'd never seen before. They wore tanker uniforms and stood straight at attention when they spotted Viktor.

"Who are you two?" he questioned.

"Private First Class Karl Shepkin, sir," one of the two men stated.

"Private First Class Anton Nosov, sir," the other mimicked.

Karl handed Viktor a piece of paper. "We're your new crewmen, sir. I'm your driver, Anton's your gunner."

Viktor looked over the paper, it had orders detailing the transfer of them into his squad. "What happened to my old crewmen?"

"Well, they're only qualified to man a BTR-82A, we're qualified for the BTR-90," Anton answered.

"BTR-90?" Viktor didn't remember being issued one of the newer armored vehicles.

Anton grinned. "Yes, sir. The first ones came through the gate today and you're the first to receive one. I think you'll like the extra armaments it packs."

"Extra firepower never hurts..." Viktor cleared his throat. "Alright then, I'm Senior Sergeant Viktor Statnik, welcome to the squad. Head on inside and get settled."

"Thank you sir. By the way, Lieutenant Colonel Zolotov wanted to see you about something, didn't tell us what," Karl informed him.

Viktor took in a sharp breath. "Great… get settled, I'll see what this is about."

Both crewmen saluted before heading inside the barracks to meet their squadmates. Viktor on the other hand turned around and headed towards Zolotov's office. He always dreaded meeting with the Lieutenant-Colonel.

Outside the office stood a squad of Chinese soldiers. The Chinese had arrived through the gate in small, but significant numbers. So far they'd just stayed at Oryol Base, leaving the real duties to Russian forces, but Viktor knew that was bound to change.

Viktor didn't know what sort of deal the Kremlin had worked out with China, but apparently they were supposed to be cooperating with them. If that was the case, he hoped they spoke Russian, because he knew next to nothing about speaking Chinese.

Viktor also had some reservations about working with the PLA. The last real war China had fought was over thirty years ago. They had very limited experience in modern warfare and their doctrines were mostly untested. In short, they could end up being a liability to the more experienced Russian forces.

He stepped into the office building while the Chinese soldiers muttered things to each other, probably about Viktor. The offices had once more expanded since Viktor was there and the hallway was bustling with aides delivering messages and officers moving from place to place. Viktor walked to Zolotov's office and opened the door.

Inside sat a Chinese man, he looked to be a squad leader from what Viktor could see, and Zolotov. Both men stood up when Viktor entered the room.

"Comrade Senior Sergeant Statnik," Zolotov greeted him.

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel Zolotov," Viktor returned the formal greeting.

Zolotov gestured to the Chinese man. "I'd like you to meet Sergeant Tian Wen of the People's Liberation Army."

"I look forward to working with you, senior sergeant," Tian spoke with a light accent, but he was understandable.

"The same with you, sergeant."

Zolotov cleared his throat and continued, "Sergeant Tian and his squad will be working in conjunction with your own squad for the foreseeable future. I'll have orders for you tomorrow, but for now get to know each other and make your men ready to move out."

"Understood, sir." Viktor said while snapping a salute.

Tian also saluted. "Yes, lieutenant colonel."

"Excellent, you're dismissed. Come here in the morning to collect your orders."

The two squad leaders walked out of Zolotov's office and exited the office building. Tian went over to the squad of Chinese soldiers Viktor had spotted earlier who all promptly stood at attention.

Tian spoke a flurry of Chinese, a language in which Viktor barely knew how to say hello. He presumed Tian was telling them their orders, but Viktor couldn't be sure. Whatever he said, the men began to follow Tian.

"How many of your men speak Russian?" Viktor asked Tian while they walked.

"Just me and my deputy leader. The rest know a few basics, but don't expect them to understand most of what you say." That was bad news for Viktor. If Tian or his second in command were taken out of action during an engagement, he'd have no way of communicating.

"What about Saderan? You speak any of that?"

Tian tilted his head slightly. "Saderan?"

Viktor sighed. "That's a no then."

Walking through the base, Viktor looked over the Chinese equipment. Their uniforms were a mix between dark green, olive green and a predominant grey color which made them look extremely distinct from the all green camouflage that Russian forces wore.

Beyond that, the weapons they carried were all of bullpup design, where the gun's magazine and mechanism were behind the trigger. If Viktor remembered correctly, they used the QBZ-95 as their standard weapon, but all of the Chinese weapons followed this design, from their machine guns to their sniper rifles. This greatly contrasted the more traditional looking Kalashnikov style weapons that Russian forces were equipped with.

Viktor led the Chinese squad to his own squad's barracks. Demian was the first to greet him outside the building. He surveyed the Chinese forces suspiciously.

"Sergeant, mind explaining this?"

Viktor pointed to Tian. "This is Sergeant Tian Wen, we'll be working with him and his squad for the foreseeable future." He then turned to Tian and gestured to Demian. "That's my assistant squad leader, Demian."

"I hope we will be able to work well together," Tian said while slightly bowing his head.

Demian looked back and forth between Viktor and Tian before muttering out, "Alright then…"

"Head on inside and get settled in, I'm sure my squad will be pleased to meet yours," Viktor instructed.

Tian went along with it and walked through the door, his men following behind him. Viktor stayed outside to speak with Demian.

"Sergeant, what the hell did you do?" Demian asked.

"What do you mean?"

Demian gestured all around him. "New gear, new crewmen, and now a Chinese squad, what the hell did you do to get all this?"

Viktor shrugged as he spoke, "I guess being on good terms with President Malikov has benefits."

"What did you do, blow him?" Demian joked.

Viktor had a small laugh before continuing, "How's the new gear working out for you?"

Demian grew a massive grin on his face. "The new sights work like magic, I managed to spot a rat in the grassy field over there, and you can even look around corners without exposing yourself."

Viktor nodded in agreement, "They're pretty good."

Demian continued, "Kilment was able to requisition one of the RPG-32s that are usually reserved for the anti-tank squads, so now he's toting around two rocket launchers like some sort of madman."

Viktor began to chuckle. Kilment was clearly in good spirits then and fully recovered from the firefight.

"We also got one of those ZALA mini drones for reconnaissance. Tomas has been playing around with it like its a toy or something."

"Make sure he doesn't get it stuck in a tree." Viktor said with a laugh. "How about you? What shiny new toy did you pick up?"

Demian's grin somehow grew larger. "I managed to grab a GP-34, one of the underbarrel grenade launchers, so I could mount it on my rifle. Now it's not just Kilment and Sergei that get to play with explosions."

"Yeah, well don't blow your face up." Viktor said as he began to walk into the barracks.

Inside, the Chinese squad was gaping at Giselle who was taking in all of the attention eagerly. She always drew in all the attention. Viktor sighed and walked up to them, breaking through the ring that had formed around Giselle.

"So many new people, maybe they'll be converts to Hardy soon," Giselle said while spinning her scythe to show off.

Viktor thought of the Chinese government's policies regarding things they didn't approve of, "I don't think you'll find much luck with these people."

Tian walked up to Viktor. "Senior Sergeant, is this one of the local auxiliaries you've conscripted?"

"Yes, she's known as an apostle to the local people. She also has several… supernatural abilities so try not to anger her," Viktor warned.

Tian blinked several times, "Supernatural…"

"Just trust me, don't piss her off."

He snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. "I'll take your word for it, Senior Sergeant."

* * *

"Just line up the sights with your target and slowly pull," Alina breathed out.

Caelia nodded and moved the front sight on her pistol towards the target for the thousandth time that day.

She was using an older Russian pistol, something Alina had called a "Makarov," instead of the newer "Grach" pistols. Alina claimed it was easier to use and more plentiful, but Caelia suspected that the Russians just didn't want to give someone from Falmart new equipment.

Caelia took a deep breath before grabbing on the trigger like she would with a crossbow. The pistol jerked up in her hand and emitted a loud bang. Her target was unscathed.

"You have to pull down slowly, it doesn't take a lot of force," Alina advised.

Taking another deep breath, she lined up the sights again. Caelia steadied her hand as she prepared to fire. Just before pulling the trigger, she flinched slightly, remembering the recoil from the previous shot.

Once more, the target went unscathed.

Caelia threw the gun down in frustration, causing Alina to quickly retrieve it and ensure it wouldn't accidently fire. The mercenary promptly slumped down against the sandbag line they were shooting over. "This is useless…" she muttered.

"No one becomes a marksman overnight, you just need practice." Alina was extremely patient with her.

"I'm terrible at this. I should just stick with swords, at least then I don't need to worry about hitting the target or not," Caelia vented.

"You've seen what happens to people armed with swords when they fight against guns," her instructor pointed out.

Caelia covered her face with her hands. "Maybe I'm just useless then."

Alina crouched down to Caelia's eye level. "You know Tomas?"

She nodded slowly.

"He told me that when he first started shooting, he could barely hit something more than a couple meters away." Both Alina and Caelia smiled at that. "You know what he can do now?"

Caelia shook her head no.

"Now he can nail a target eight hundred meters away." Alina stated with a reassuring smile. "You just need to practice and sooner or later you'll be hitting your target every shot."

Caelia breathed in and began to stand. "Alright then."

Alina smiled and handed her the pistol again. She stepped back from Caelia and watched her line up the shot. Caelia once again took a deep breath before gently pulling the trigger.

* * *

Tullus stepped off the Russian vehicle wearing his finest diplomatic attire. Agent Cheslav and several of his men accompanied Tullus as they walked into Rondel's town hall. He carried two containers with him, one to demonstrate Russia's technology, the other to demonstrate Russia's power.

Tullus took a deep breath before pushing open the doors to the town hall. He found the archmages gathered around a table discussing something. They turned when Tullus walked in.

"Legatus Tullus, to what do we owe the pleasure?" One of the archmages, Famian, addressed him.

Tullus gave his best diplomatic smile. "It's President Tullus now, I'm no longer affiliated with the Empire."

"If you're no longer apart of the Empire then why have you come?" another archmage questioned.

Agent Cheslav stepped forward and addressed them in near perfect Saderan, "President Tullus here is now an official in the Russian government. You may know us better as the Masked Men."

Tullus brought out a piece of paper containing a treaty. "We'd like to offer you, the leaders of Rondel, a chance at greatness."

Famian banged his fist on the table. "This is an outrage, you've turned traitor against the Empire!"

Tullus knew that Famian was one of the few archmages truly loyal to the Empire. Most of them only accepted the Empire's rule because they had no choice.

"You wish us to become part of your nation?" An archmage questioned.

Tullus nodded. "Indeed, we think Rondel has much to benefit from by joining the Russian Federation," at the same time as he spoke, Tullus opened one of his containers revealing a laptop, one of the Russian's greatest inventions.

The archmages looked intently at the screen as Tullus opened it up and began explaining its features, "This is known as a computer. It is capable of transmitting information across the entire planet in less than a second and can access any kind of knowledge you wish to know."

Tullus could see the archmages whispering sharply together. "This is revolutionary…"

"Something like this would remove the need for books…"

"Knowledge at one's fingertips anywhere you go…"

Tullus cleared his throat to get their attention. "This is just one of many technologies you will have access to should you sign this treaty and join the Russian Federation. There is so much more that you have never seen."

One of the mages recovered from his amazement faster than the others. "This is incredible… I'm sure we'd be glad to join-"

"Traitor! You would forsake the Empire that has protected us for centuries for these cheap tricks?!" Famian shouted at his colleagues.

"What loyalty do we owe to the Empire?! They have no interest in our affairs and we have no interest in theirs!" The mage defended.

"The Empire's allowed us to study in peace for hundreds of years! We cannot just abandon it for foreigners we know next to nothing about!"

Tullus could see that Famian's fiery speech was preventing several archmages, still on the fence, from accepting the Russian offer. _It's time for the second part our presentation._ Opening his other case, Tullus pulled out an oddly shaped pistol.

The weapon had four chambers, each with a silver cartridge in it. Cheslav has called it the "Osa" or wasp. Stepping forward Tullus took aim at Famian's chest with it and fired.

The archmage's eyes widened. Famian was barely able to create a hasty magical shield to defend himself in time. Unfortunately for him, the shield shattered upon impact.

Tullus watched as the rubber bullet bounced off of Famian's chest and the man collapsed onto the ground holding the impact mark. Famian wheezed in pain from the shot.

While the Osa was "less than lethal" as Cheslav described it, the bullet still hurt tremendously. Tullus couldn't help but crack a smile seeing the man squirm on the ground in pain.

"Of course, if you choose not to join us, Russia is at war with the Empire and Rondel is technically an enemy city. I'm sure you've heard of what happened to Bellnahgo."

Tullus watched the mage as they backed away in fear from Famian. They had a quick discussion with each other in whispers before one of them stepped forward.

"Do you have a quill we could borrow?"

* * *

Taras put on his equipment for the mission. He strapped on his body armor and loaded magazines into his vest. With his mask pulled up, he put on his K6-3 helmet and flipped down the visor.

The rest of his team geared up in a similar manner. Taras grabbed the gun that was allowing them to do this mission, the ASM Val. Ever since the Japanese had arrived at the capital, spetsnaz forces had been restricted from being able to fire their weapons. The suppressors on their AK-15s weren't good enough to not alert the Japanese.

That changed today.

The ASM Val, a modernized version of the old AS Val that was so popular with spetsnaz operatives, had an integrated suppressor and fired subsonic ammunition. Both these factors combined meant it was essentially silent.

They didn't arrive with the weapons originally because they didn't think it was needed. Only once the Japanese arrived did they realize the necessity for a completely silent weapon. It took a little while, but Taras' team had finally managed to collect the guns from a drop point just outside of Sadera.

Taras went over the mission in his head. They were going to infiltrate the home of a wealthy slave trader, the man who'd been in charge of selling Russian captives that were captured at Novinka. There were two objectives, the first was a sales record that needed to be retrieved from his office, the second was a Russian citizen who was currently being kept as a slave.

Loading a magazine into his weapon, he thought of the slimy bastard that sold Russian citizens. The man was a fat bastard who'd gotten rich off of the suffering of other people. It wasn't his mission to kill the man, but he wasn't forbidden from doing it either. Accidents happened all the time.

"Atlant-012, you are cleared to progress with your mission. Over."

"Understood. Over."

* * *

Alright, you people are amazing. Last chapter I wasn't very confident in myself, but I really do have to thank you all for the very nice reviews. I still don't think its that good, so I might go back and change it later on, but for now here's another chapter.

Evowizard25: Thank you so much for the nice review.

hellisonfire345: Yeah I don't have much experience in that area, but I hope I can learn. The reason I apologized was because I just felt that chapter didn't live up to the standard of my other chapters, but maybe I'll fix that later. I haven't lost my inspiration, you and other reviewers have made sure of that. So thank you so much.

Alarick07: I just felt that chapter didn't live up to some of my other chapters.

C V Ford: There are dozens of us! DOZENS! But really, it's mostly just one person writing for fun. Sometimes I can wrangle my friend (who's actually writing a real novel) to edit for me, but mostly it's just me and a lot of inspiration.

Arms Dealer: I was thinking they'd use some old AK-74s so that ammo could be shared and logistics would be easier, maybe with it converted to semi auto. Your list is helpful though, thanks for putting it together.

Maroon567: Viktor isn't spetsnaz, he's apart of a motorized rifle brigade. Taras is spetsnaz and he is GRU.

Feerzo 14: I guess I'm just a little hard on myself.

tamerlan110: Thank you. Also I had no idea about cognac being popular in the military, thanks for telling me.

Thanks for all the nice reviews, it gave me a lot of inspiration at a time when I wasn't really feeling it. As always I left the speculation unanswered, but thanks for all the reviews, I do read them all.

*Edit: Changed pen to quill, stated the name of the Chinese assault rifle QBZ-95.


	20. Chapter 20

One team, that's all Taras had at his disposal. Any more men and they'd risk compromising themselves to Japanese scouts. Four men, it was enough to do the job.

They moved under the cover of darkness, when the torches had long since burned out and few people roamed the streets. Taras stopped at the street corner that led to their targets, making sure to remain concealed behind a brick wall. The slaver's house was two stories tall with very few windows and several guards. Whoever had built the house was most definitely paranoid.

Outside stood two guards armed with short swords. Both of them looked tired, but they weren't asleep as Taras had hoped. They'd have to go in shooting.

Taras' informants hadn't been able to secure information about the interior of the house. It was presumed that the slaver would be sleeping on the second floor, but there wasn't any guarantee of that. He had no information on the location of either the documents they were after or the slave they were trying to rescue.

Taras turned back to his team and whispered, "We rush forward, kill the guards outside and breach the house. Then we split into two, one group goes upstairs, the other clears the bottom floor. This has to be fast, understand?"

The team nodded in confirmation.

"Good, on my command."

He turned back to the street corner. Both guards were still there, neither having moved from their position. Taras took a deep breath before uttering a simple command, "Execute."

Immediately, Taras sprinted out from the street corner and fired a single shot through the head of one of the two guards. The man dropped dead instantly.

Another silenced shot echoed out from the operative behind him. The second guard fell to the ground with a hole in his head.

The spetsnaz operatives rushed forward to the door and stacked up on either side. Taras tested the door handle. _Unlocked._ He nodded to the operative on the opposite side of the door.

Taras shoved open the door, allowing for the other man to charge in with his gun up. A third silenced shot rang out as one of the guards collapsed to the floor. _Everything's going smoothly._

The central hallway branched off into a few rooms with a stairwell at the very end of it. Two of the operatives began to clear the bottom floor, while Taras and the remaining operative headed up the stairwell.

Upon reaching the second floor, Taras was greeted by a frantic man with a sword charging him. Unable to target the man's head in time, Taras unloaded the remainder of his magazine into his chest.

His attacker slumped to the ground while Taras placed a new magazine into his rifle.

With no time to lose, he observed his surroundings. The upstairs area had a single room from the stairwell, presumably the bedroom. Taras stacked up on the door as his partner did the same.

Giving a single nod, Taras kicked open the door to the room. Inside stood a fat half naked man and a women dressed in rags. He'd found the slaver.

Holding a dagger to the woman's throat, the slaver began to shout something in Saderan. Whatever it was, Taras didn't understand it. What he did understand were the woman's frantic cries in Russian.

In the course of a split second, Taras fired a single shot from his ASM Val. Instinct derived from years of training and experienced allowed him to make the shot without thinking.

The subsonic round exploded out of its barrel and flew past the woman's head into the slaver's face. Blood splattered across the wall as the dagger dropped to the ground.

The woman began to cry and ran to Taras. She embraced him in a tight hug. "Thank you… thank you… thank you…"

Taras flipped up his helmet's mask and tried to reassure the woman with an awkward embrace. "It's alright, we're taking you back to Russia. Follow behind me, alright?"

The woman nodded with tears still on her face.

"Upper floor clear!" he shouted to the operatives below.

Taras heard the sound of another subsonic round being fired followed by the sound of someone hitting the ground.

"Lower floor clear!" they shouted up.

Moving down the stairwell, Taras surveyed his men's handiwork. All of the doors had been kicked open and bodies lie in several of the rooms. They worked with speed and efficiency, exactly how they were supposed to.

One of the operatives, their language specialist, handed Taras a leatherbound book. Viktor flipped through the pages, he couldn't understand the writing but it look like an accountant's spreadsheet.

"This what I think it is?" Taras asked while pointing to the book's cover.

"Yes sir, records of every slave sale for the past year. I skimmed through it and spotted more than a couple Russian names being sold just a few weeks ago."

"Good work."

"I also found several Japanese names in it."

Taras nodded. "We'll send our findings to command and they'll sort it out. For now let's just get out of here."

The woman behind him suddenly spoke up in a panic. "Where's Akari?! Where are the others?"

"Calm down now, who are-" Taras tried to pacify her, but she shoved past him heading towards one of the rooms that had been cleared.

The woman slide a couch slightly to the right, revealing a hatch. Taras came up behind the woman as she threw open the hatch revealing a dark basement. In the basement, he spotted what looked to be around a dozen people all wearing similar rags to the Russian woman.

Men and women, humans and demi-humans, they all had a similar look of surprise on their face as they looked up at Taras. They backed away from the opening in the hatch fearfully. A woman with black hair and Asian features slowly walked forward.

"D-dare desu ka?"

* * *

Viktor and Tian stood at attention while Zolotov gave them their new orders. They'd reported to him in the morning on time as requested, yet the Lieutenant Colonel still seemed angry. At this point, Viktor was fairly certain the man was always angry, he just managed to hide it when necessary.

"Gathering information from local sources, we've identified that a land known as Elbe is a major contributor of rare minerals and gems to the Empire's economy. Rumors also claim that there are numerous untapped oil and uranium deposits residing within the land."

Viktor knew what that meant. Russian companies had been sending their surveyors into the Special Region hoping to both literally and figuratively strike gold. So far they'd been very successful which led to the companies investing more of their assets into the Special Region. Viktor had a feeling Elbe would be next on the chopping block.

"Your objective is to disrupt the flow of rare minerals to the Empire and bring back confirmation of the oil and uranium deposits. Elbe's king is presumed to be dead and the crown prince is ruling until he can be coronated. There are also reports of what is called a 'flame dragon' terrorizing the local population, so beware of that."

"Sir, do we have permission to engage with the dragon or any opposing soldiers?" Viktor asked.

"Elbe is a vassal state of the Empire and thus technically at war with us. Attempt to avoid any engagements, but you do have permission to use deadly force."

Viktor nodded in understanding.

Tian spoke up. "Sir, do you have information on this dragon?"

Zolotov shook his head. "We don't know a lot about it. What we do know is that Japanese forces engaged it during their initial reconnaissance of the Special Region. The Japanese Nation Diet questioned them on the incident so all our information comes from that."

Viktor thought back to the broadcast, one of the Diet members had tried to pin all the blame on the JSDF's incompetence, but failed miserably.

"It killed 150 refugees, has scales as strong as tungsten, and is capable of breathing out high temperature flames, but we do know that it was heavily wounded by a Japanese model of the Panzerfaust 3."

Tian nodded in understanding.

"Gather the necessary information then return to base. We're getting ready for an assault on the capital, so make sure you're here on time. Dismissed."

Viktor and Tian both saluted before leaving Zolotov's office. Another reconnaissance mission, this time they'd be extremely far away from any friendly support. The threat of the dragon came to mind, but with all their new equipment in addition to the Chinese squad's support, Viktor was certain they'd be fine.

"How much firepower do you think it'll take to bring down the dragon?" Tian suddenly asked.

Viktor shrugged. "Maybe one of the tandem rockets for our RPG-7 will penetrate its scales. If not, Kilment picked up an RPG-32 which is certain to do the trick. I think we've also got an ATGM launcher mounted on our new BTR so that could probably work too."

Tian seemed to accept that answer with a simple nod. "You seem to know a lot about this stuff."

"That's why I'm squad leader," Viktor said with a yawn.

Tian sighed. "Better than me, I'm only squad leader because I can speak Russian fluently. I'd be a private if it weren't for that."

"Just follow my lead and you'll do fine," Viktor reassured.

The Chinese man nodded slowly. "I'll take your word for it."

* * *

Caelia inhaled slowly as she sighted down her target. The empty bottle of cognac stood ten meters away from her as she positioned her Makarov. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Alina watching her.

With a gentle pull of the trigger, the pistol jerked up in her hand from recoil. Caelia saw the bottle shatter as her bullet hit its mark.

Alina smiled at her. "Good job, you're getting much better."

Caelia made sure to put on the gun's safety before setting it down. She turned and returned Alina's smile. "It's a lot easier now."

"Keep it up and I'll start teaching you how to use a Kalashnikov," Alina said while hefting her own AK-12 up.

Caelia laughed at that. "Maybe we'll do that once I can hit something beyond twenty meters."

"You'll get there," Alina responded with a shrug.

"Alina, Caelia!" The two women turned their heads towards the shouting. It was Demian with all his combat gear on. "Get ready to mount up! We've got a mission!"

"Come on, maybe you'll get a chance to get some real life experience," Alina said while gathering her things together.

Caelia placed the Makarov carefully into her holster. The pistol hung next to her sword on her belt with a few magazines near it. Alina began to walk towards the barracks with Caelia following her.

Caelia suddenly had a thought. "Are the Grey Peopl-"

"The Chinese," Alina corrected.

"Are the Chinese coming with us?"

"I think they are. The sergeant mentioned that we're going to be working with them," she responded.

"Why do they use those weird rifles? Why don't they use Kalashnikovs?" Caelia had noted how the Chinese carried weapons that looked completely different from any other gun she'd seen.

Alina yawned as they walked. "I think they used to use Kalashnikovs, or something similar to it. Their new rifles are supposedly better, that's still disputed though."

"Is China stronger than Russia?" All this new stuff made Caelia uncertain of Russia's superiority.

Alina took a little while to think about the question. "It depends on what you see as 'stronger' because there are a lot of different variables. But I can say for certain that in Falmart, Russia is stronger."

Caelia nodded silently.

"Come on, let's hurry up. We can't be late."

* * *

"Atlant-012, please repeat. I'm not sure I heard you right. Over."

Taras held the radio in his hand and echoed what he'd just said, "We've rescued fifteen captives from our raid, including one Russian and one Japanese national. Over."

"The original mission only called for the rescue of one Russian national, correct? Over."

"That is correct. We did not anticipate to find additional captives. Over."

A long silence followed his response before the radio crackled up again, "Understood, Atlant-012. Are you able to accommodate them until further notice? Over."

"It'll be a tight fit, but I think we can manage. Over." Taras made a mental note to ask Mizari for extra food and clothing.

"Understood. Expect transport to arrive shortly for the extraction of the rescued captives. Until then, continue operations as normal. Over."

"Copy that command. We'll hang tight. Over." Taras put away the radio.

He turned to head out the door, but found Mizari standing in the way. She spoke Russian now, having learned it from the operatives. The winged woman was smoking some kind of pipe as always.

"What is it?" Taras muttered out.

"You've caused a lot of trouble by killing one of the major slave traders. Other traders are fighting over his business, it's getting even more dangerous on the streets," She said while taking a huff from her pipe.

"He needed to die, we can't do much about the side effects."

"We're going to need something more if you want us to keep providing information, and especially so if we're to take care of the slaves you've taken in," she grumbled out.

"Our protection's not good enough?" Taras was getting impatient.

"It's not. Maybe we'll try our luck with the Green People if things keep going the way they are," Mizari threatened.

Taras placed his hand on the pistol at his hip. "You know I can't let you do that."

Mizari's face showed no sign of backing down.

Sighing, Taras gave in. "What do you want?"

"I heard your men talking about something that can prevent us from getting pregnant. This would be a great help for us considering the type of work we engage in." Mizari exhaled from her pipe.

"Condoms? That's what you want?" Taras could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"If you would, please."

"Alright fine. You'll get it as long as you remain loyal to us." Taras shoved past her to get through the door. _How the fuck am I going to ask command for this?_

Deciding to deal with that problem later, Taras headed up the stairs to the attic. With little space and very little extra supplies to spare, he'd ordered the captives they'd saved be housed in the attic. They gave out what little medicine and food they had, but until Mizari's people started delivering supplies, there wasn't enough to go around.

He looked for the Russian woman they'd rescued, Rosina. She'd been a great help to him, calming down the Saderans and ensuring everyone followed the operative's orders. Rosina was also apparently a good friend of the Japanese woman, Akari.

Taras spotted her huddled next toone of the demi-humans, helping the man drink from a bottle. She was one of the few people relatively uninjured from their captivity.

He walked up to her and cleared his throat. "Rosina, I've got good news."

She finished helping the man and looked up expectantly at Taras. "What is it? Do we have more supplies?"

"I reported the situation to command, they're going to send some people to get everyone out of here," Taras said while smiling.

Rosina blinked. "We can go home?"

"The Saderans we'll have to put in a refugee camp, but you and Akari can go back to Earth. In a few weeks you'll be back in Novinka and your old life."

The woman cocked her head. "Novinka, why would I go there?"

Taras stared at her in confusion. "Weren't you captured at Novinka?"

Rosina shook her head slowly. "I was visiting Ginza when all this happened, I've never been to Novinka."

He hadn't considered that possibility before. If Rosina had been a tourist caught up in Ginza then there could have been other tourists still captive. "Were there any other tourists that got captured with you?"

She nodded immediately. "We got separated, but there were a couple other foreigners that were visiting Ginza."

Taras immediately took out a notepad. "Do you know what nationalities they were?"

Rosina held her hand to her chin. "Umm… there was a nice German man with us… and I think a Swedish or Norwegian family."

Taras rapidly wrote down what she'd said. Command would want to know about this immediately.

"Oh, and an Australian woman who was all alone."

He nodded as she spoke. "Anyone else?"

"There were a lot of Japanese people with us," Rosina thought out loud,

"We're just interested in foreigners for right now," Taras clarified. "Can you confirm it was just one German, a family of Scandinavians, and one Australian?"

"Uhh… no, there was a couple with us..." Rosina scratched her head. "I don't really know…"

"Try your best."

She rubbed her head. "I don't speak English, but I think I heard one of them mention California..." Rosina looked up at him. "I think they were Americans."

* * *

Chapter 20! Wooh! This marks the point where it's about 15 chapters more than I thought I'd ever write for this story. I managed to post these past two chapters in rapid succession because I had them already written and just needed to edit (which I managed to force my friend into helping with) so don't get used to having a chapter every day.

GhostScorch: The Chinese are using just their basic service rifle the QBZ-95 and their standard support weapons like the QBB-95. In other words, no experimental or special issue stuff.

Ilikebob: I initially had it as pen because its called a quill pen, but then I decided just using quill like you suggested was better so I changed it. Thanks for the help.

Feerzo 14: Oh man reviewers, I've got to say you're all amazing, but there are some that I really like to read reviews from. Its mostly the people that consistently review like yourself, GhostScorch, hellisonfire345, rdawamindra, Alarick07, Perseus12, and the guests who pump out big paragraphs of speculation and suggestions. I also like C V Ford since they were one of my first reviewers and gave some helpful advise. Then tamerlan110 since they're an actual Russian who likes this story. But yeah, you're all great.

V1kingz-98: I think its safe to say that either nation is fully capable of turning the Empire into dust, but the key here is that while Japan is willing to negotiate, Russia isn't. That's what makes Russia the bigger threat to the Empire. Also nuclear weapons are scary even if there's no chance in hell they're going to be used.

C V Ford: This review came out literally second after I finished editing this chapter so I almost missed it. I'm sure the Chinese government would love a dragon person, just not the part about worshiping Hardy. And yes, I HAVE AN ARMY OF WRITERS AT MY DISPOSAL!

There were a couple I didn't respond to, but rest assured I did read them. (the ones about Chinese Peacekeepers are particularly interesting, but I don't want to spoil anything).

One last thing, I have a poll on my profile right now on whether or not I should have an American point of view. I've been conflicted on this for a while and I have an idea of how to do the story with and without one so really its just what the readers want.


	21. Chapter 21

The BTR-90 was an improvement over the BTR-82A in several ways. It had thicker armor, the BTR-90's basic armor was capable of protecting against 14.5mm rounds and additional explosive reactive armor could be mounted. The armament was more powerful, coming equipped with four Konkurs ATGMs and an AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher in addition to the 30mm cannon and coaxial machine guns that the BTR-82A had. Finally, it was also more capable with a 510 horsepower engine versus the 300 horsepower engine on the BTR-82A.

There was one thing it hadn't improved on though, the carrying capacity was still only ten people.

Viktor had never come up with a real solution for their overcrowding issue. While Giselle may have been fine with sitting on top of the BTR at high speeds, Caelia and Arpeggio were most certainly not.

He'd considered asking if the Chinese squad could take on an extra person in their Type 92 APC, but ultimately decided against it. Only two of them spoke Russian and they barely even knew what Saderan was.

So for the time being, their BTR would remain a tight fit. Viktor yawned in his seat. It wasn't the worst thing that could happen, as the vehicle's commander, he got a seat upfront and away from the crowded rear.

"Sergeant, I hear we're looking for more mineral deposits." Viktor was interrupted from his thoughts by Arpeggio. "Perhaps I could be of some more use. What are we looking for?"

Viktor thought back to his briefing. "We're looking for Elbe's rare minerals, like silver and gold.

"They have several large mines, I can show you to them," Arpeggio said with one of her books out.

"We're also looking for uh…" Viktor blanked on the words for uranium and crude oil, he wasn't even sure the Saderan language had words for them. "A mineral that can look black, green, or yellow. It makes you sick if you're near it for too long."

Arpeggio nodded as he spoke. "I think I know what you mean, I'll be able to find it with my magic."

"Also we're looking for a black liquid, it's not really a mineral. It burns when ignited and it's kind of sticky to the touch." Viktor did his best to explain oil.

"You mean coal water?"

"I uhh…" Viktor scratched his head, this wasn't really his speciality. "I guess, maybe."

Arpeggio continued to smile. "I think there's a few places where it exists in Elbe." Her face twisted in confusion. "Why would you want it though? It's fairly useless."

"We use it for a lot of things, it's very valuable to us," Viktor replied.

Arpeggio's confused face showed she didn't understand.

Viktor sighed. "It doesn't matter, can you find it or not?"

She nodded with a smile. "I think my magic will work."

"Good, let's hope it goes better than the last time," Viktor joked.

Arpeggio's smile dropped immediately. "I didn't know that would happen! I'm so-"

Viktor interrupted her apology, "It's fine, I was kidding."

The mage slowly nodded. She backed away from Viktor's seat and went to the back of the BTR. _Guess she takes some things a little too seriously._

"Hey sergeant." Viktor sighed and looked towards the back. "We're heading south, right?" Demian asked.

"Yep, Elbe is pretty far south of here," he affirmed.

"And command gave us a couple weeks to do this mission, yeah?"

"Yes…" Viktor was getting suspicious. "Get to the point."

"Well, considering it's on the way… and that we've got a lot of time for this…" Demian gave a sheepish grin. "Maybe we could stop by Italica for a little bit, check on it and stuff."

Kilment smacked Demian on the back of his head. "You just want to see your cat girlfriend."

"It's not just that!" Demian protested. "The maids might-"

Viktor decided to cut him off before he could go further. "We're not going to Italica."

"But sergeant-"

"Kilment, smack him the next time he brings up Italica," Viktor ordered.

"Gladly." Kilment said while rubbing his hands together.

Demian sighed deeply. "Fine…"

* * *

Bellnahgo, Italica, Rondel, three of the Empire's most important cities had fallen into the otherworlder's hands in rapid succession. Yet Zorzal and the Imperial Senate still wanted war.

The Empire was going to be beaten, that much was certain. Despite what Zorzal or the senate believed, no amount of men or carefully planned strategies could defeat the otherworlders. What the Empire needed now was an intelligent and pragmatic leader to prevent its total collapse.

Diabo El Caesar knew he was that leader.

Sitting in his chambers, Diabo contemplated his competition to the throne. Technically, there were around twenty potential heirs, but in reality only two could truly threaten him: Zorzal El Caesar and Pina Co Lada.

Zorzal was an idiot, the only reason he was even a threat was because he was first in the line of succession. He acted like a child and refused to face facts. If Zorzal were to become emperor, the Empire would certainly suffer and most likely be destroyed by the otherworlders. Diabo promised himself that Zorzal would never become emperor.

Then there was Pina. Diabo liked Pina, she had always been his favorite sibling, but he couldn't let that get in the way of becoming emperor. Being the tenth in the line of succession, Pina previously had almost no chance at becoming empress. Now, she was almost guaranteed the throne if Diabo didn't intervene.

The reason Pina was now considered a threat to him was because of her cooperation with the Green People. When Pina had gone to Italica with her order of knights, everyone assumed she had been killed by the Green People who conquered it shortly after her departure. Diabo had mourned her passing before working on a plan to surpass Zorzal in the line of succession.

Diabo was ecstatic when she came back weeks later unharmed and greeted her kindly. Upon returning however, Pina had set about working with the few remaining pro-peace senators to end the war against the otherworlders. This was a complete reversal from her attitude when she'd left Sadera.

When she returned to Sadera, Pina had also brought with her a man named Sugawara. While most of the senate had been tricked into believing the man was simply a visiting nobleman, Diabo wasn't blind, Sugawara was one of the Green People's diplomats. He knew her ploy, Pina was clearly trying to become empress by using the Green People's power.

Diabo groaned in frustration. It would have been so much easier if Pina had just stayed out of the succession conflict, now he had to figure out a way to not only surpass Zorzal, but also his sister. Diabo cared about Pina, he truly did, but now Pina was threatening what was rightfully his and he couldn't let that pass. He would stop her no matter what he had to do.

Diabo just had to figure out how.

* * *

Viktor stretched in his seat groaning. He'd forgotten just how uncomfortable it was to ride in their BTR for extended periods of time. They'd been driving all day, yet they were still only half way to their destination. This was mainly due to the lack of direct roads leading to Elbe, everything seemed to be a mess of winding paths full of dead ends. _At least they have roads._

Looking to his left, Karl was busy driving the BTR. In all the confusion of meeting with the Chinese squad and then promptly being assigned a new mission, Viktor hadn't had the time to properly get to know his new crewmen. His old crewmen had both been rather quiet and were almost isolated from the rest of the squad, Viktor didn't want that to happen again.

"Hey Karl, where are you from?" he asked casually.

"Hmm?" Karl glanced at Viktor for a split second before returning his attention to the road. "Vladivostok," he answered simply.

"That far east, huh?"

Karl nodded. "Yep, from Vladivostok all the way to a different world. It's farther than most people travel."

"You haven't seen anything yet, just wait until one of the monsters attacks us." Viktor thought back to the giant at they'd killed at Bellnahgo and the dragon Itami's squad had wounded.

"What about elf girls and monster ladies?" Karl asked, smirking.

Viktor grinned. "You'll see them too, if you haven't heard, Demian back there has a cat girlfriend."

"Shut up," Demian grumbled from the back.

That only caused Viktor's grin to grow. "What about you, Anton? Where are you from?"

"Eyik," Anton responded.

Kilment look at the gunner from his seat. "Where the fuck is that?"

Anton shrugged. "It's in Siberia, pretty small town."

"People live in Siberia? I thought it was an unlivable wasteland with nothing but trees and bears in it," Kilment said while laughing.

Viktor rolled his eyes as he spoke, "Of course people live in fucking Siberia, you idiot."

Anton didn't seem to be offended by Kilment's comments. "Eh, my town only had a couple hundred people so he's not that far from the truth."

Igor looked up. "A couple hundred? I had more people than that in my city block!"

Anton was once more unfazed. "Yeah well, like I told you-"

"Fuck ahead of us!" Karl abruptly slammed on the brakes, jolting everyone forward.

"What the hell is it?!" Viktor frantically looked through his periscope trying to find the reason they halted.

"It's a goddamn pack of massive wolves!" Karl replied.

Anton immediately shifted the main gun. "Permission to fire, sergeant?!"

"Denied, let's be sensible here, they haven't done anything yet."

The BTR's radio suddenly crackled with Tian's voice, "Shapka-213, why are we stopped? Over."

"Q27, we have local wildlife blocking our path. Over," Viktor radioed back.

"Shit, don't tell the Chinese about the dogs, they'll eat them!" Kilment joked.

Looking through his periscope, he could see around fourteen of the beasts. They had black fur and looked to be the size of a tiger, he'd never seen wolves that big in his entire life. Viktor suddenly watched Giselle jump off the BTR and walk towards the wolves.

"Fuck... Caelia, dismount with me! The rest of you stay in here and don't fire unless I tell you to!' Viktor ordered while exiting through the top hatch in their BTR.

Aiming his rifle towards the wolves, he slowly climbed off the vehicle. Caelia came out through a side hatch with her sword drawn. Viktor flicked off the safety on his AK-12.

"Caelia, what are those things?" Viktor asked.

The mercenary stepped closer while keeping her sword ready. "Black Dogs, they're like wolves but bigger and more dangerous."

Viktor watched Giselle approach the dogs with her scythe relaxed on her shoulder. The Black Dogs glowed brightly through his rifle's thermal sight. "Giselle, what are you doing?"

She didn't give him a response and instead got within arms reach of the dogs. Unfearing, she reached out her hand to pet one of them. "Hey there, boy…"

The Black Dog immediately latched onto her hand with its teeth. Viktor could see blood spurt out from Giselle as the other dogs immediately followed suit and attacked her with their jaws.

"Fuck! Open fire!"

Viktor's Kalashnikov immediately let out several bullets at the beasts. The dogs didn't seem to have any sort of resistance against bullets, but each one required several shots to take down. He was able to bring down five of them before Viktor's rifle ran dry.

The Black Dogs turned away from Giselle and began to charge at Viktor and Caelia. His eyes widened as the massive creatures beared down on them. He couldn't reload in time.

Caelia impaled the first dog that came at them, but another dog immediately tackled her. She was quickly surrounded as several Black Dogs tried to tear apart her plate armor.

At the same time, Viktor faced off against one of the dogs with an empty rifle. Drawing his pistol, he fired all eight of the rounds in his pistol's magazine into the Black Dog's body. It didn't stop.

Viktor was charged to the ground by the dog as it ignored the pistol. As he hit the ground, Viktor lost grip on his pistol. He barely managed to avoid having his throat torn out and tried to stab the beast with his bayonet.

No matter what he did, it seemed to have almost no effect on the creature.

Suddenly the dog went limp, with blood spraying onto Viktor's face. Turning his head, he saw Tian holding his QBZ-95 with several other Chinese soldiers. Their combined firepower quickly gunned down the remaining Black Dogs attacking Caelia and Giselle.

Viktor stood and wiped off the blood on his face, while taking deep breaths to calm himself down. Caelia shoved off a dog's corpse off of her and stood, she looked to be unharmed, her plate armor having protected her. Giselle on the other hand, was a mess of bloody wounds, fortunately her injuries quickly stitched themselves together, much to the amazement of the Chinese soldiers.

Viktor glanced around for his savior. Spotting Tian, he walked over and said his thanks, "I'm sure glad you came to help, sergeant."

Tian yawned. "Not a problem. Let's just find a good place to make camp, I'm tired and hungry."

Viktor inadvertently glanced at the dog corpses when he mentioned his hunger, prompting Tian to roll his eyes. "Right, we should get a move on then."

Viktor and Caelia reentered the BTR while Giselle situated herself on top again. Upon entering the vehicle he shot a glare at his squad who'd done nothing to help him while he was nearly mauled to death.

"Why the fuck didn't you shoot the dogs?" he asked slightly frustrated.

Anton responded to him, "Well, you told us not to shoot unless you gave the order, sir."

Viktor couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I yelled for everyone to open fire!"

The gunner shrugged, "We can't hear you from inside the BTR, you need to use your radio."

"I-" Viktor gave up with a sigh. "Next time you see me about to die, please help me despite any of my orders."

"Roger that, sergeant."

* * *

Taras grunted as he and his team scaled the hill the Main Imperial Palace was situated on. Once again, they had another mission in the dead of night. Only this time their target was much more important than a slave trader's home.

When command had heard about the foreign slaves Rosina had told them about, they went crazy. Almost immediately, all missions became based around the foreigners while their previous assignments were put on hold. Taras could understand the reasoning behind it, foreign captives meant potential foreign involvement, but he didn't like essentially forgetting about the Russian captives in order to focus on them.

According to Rosina, the captives had been held at the Main Imperial Palace in one of Prince Zorzal's rooms while he looked through them. The prince kept most of them, but sold a few such as Rosina and Akari to slavers like the one they'd rescued them from. One of the other teams was working on tracking down the slavers, Taras' team was assigned to rescue the captives in the Palace.

With his three other operatives, Taras had begun climbing up the base of a massive hill at the center of Sadera which housed the Imperial Palace. The only path up to the Palace was heavily guarded by Imperial soldiers. Killing them and disposing of the bodies would be too difficult to do undetected, so they had to climb.

Taras took a deep breath as they reached the top of the hill. He quickly observed his new surroundings, several guards stood at the Palace entrance and there were at least ten guards patrolling around the perimeter. One of the patrolling guards walked past them only a few meters away, he was suddenly very grateful the Empire didn't have night vision technology.

Checking to make sure their path was clear, Taras signalled for the others to follow him. The Spetsnaz operatives moved swiftly and silently as they crossed short expanse from the edge of the hill to the Imperial Palace's walls. Fortunately for them, the Palace walls were filled with windows and it took relatively little effort to crack one open then enter through it.

 _Everything according to plan._

They moved through the massive hallways that connected the rooms within the Palace. No one seemed to be awake that late in the night, causing the Palace to appear deserted. _All the better for us._

Taras spotted a door ahead with two guards standing in front of it. If the maps their informants had collected were correct, this was the place where the captives were being held. It seemed the guards also spotted them.

He held out his spear and addressed Taras with an authoritative tone, "Siste via-"

Two silenced shots ended the guard's orders.

Moving quickly, two of the operatives went to dispose of the guard's corpses and clean up any evidence of their deaths. They handed over the guard's keys to Taras as he and the other man stacked up on the door.

With a single nod they opened the room and charged into it with their ASM Vals raised. Inside were twenty people, dressed in ragged clothing and wearing chains. They'd found the captives.

Gradually, the captives began to wake up from the noise they'd caused. Taras quickly did a headcount, three Caucasian females, five Caucasian males, nine Asian females, and three Asian males.

Taras didn't know any Japanese, but he knew some English, and at least three of them were supposed to native English speakers. "We Russian Spetsnaz. Rosina send us."

He saw two of them immediately sigh in relief while a third translated it into Japanese.

"We here to rescue. Come with, stay close, be quiet. Understand?" Taras was stretching his knowledge of English here, while he'd learned some during his operations, he was by no means anywhere near fluent.

One of the Caucasian females nodded. "Thank you so much, we've been here for so long."

"Stay quiet, come with."

She nodded and translated it into Japanese.

Taras quickly set about removing the chains from them with the keys they'd taken from the guards. He was beginning to get worried someone would find them when he finally removed the chains from the last captive. Immediately, Taras signalled for them to follow him.

As soon as they exited the room, Taras felt rumbling. Ceramic vases and intricate paintings fell to the ground around them. The entire building began to shake as Taras' team looked around frantically.

Taras suddenly realized what it was. "Earthquake! We need to get out of this building!"

* * *

And that's another chapter finished. For this one I had a little trouble finding good sources on a few things. Number one was callsigns for the PLA, I ended up using an airforce callsign (Q27), but I'm fairly certain its not used for ground forces. If anyone has any info for that please let me know. Second was the Saderan language, in the past I've managed to just dodge hearing any of it, but for this I needed something so I used Roman Latin. I don't think there's any good sources on the language, but again if anyone knows anything please tell me. Finally, I discovered the Black Dogs through the wiki, but couldn't find the actual manga page they were mentioned so I had to assume a few things for that, if anyone knows that page again please tell. Anyways, I try to do a lot of research to get things as accurate as I can, but some stuff just doesn't exist (in English at least).

anaspautina: Glad you enjoy it, I love writing this.

rdawamindra: If and when (I don't want to confirm anything) Russian and Chinese troops meet with Japanese troops, I don't plan on having immediate hostilities, like you said they're fighting the same enemy. As for the Chinese plan to move half their population... I'm just going to not make that a thing here. It's such a stupid plan that no world leader in their right mind would ever even consider that I just can't bring myself to include it here. Thanks for the reviews.

jmknz777: Thanks!

GhostScorch: Well, thermal doesn't really help find an inanimate object that's closed like the hatch and night vision works well, but I don't know if I made it clear enough that the hatch was hidden under a desk so it wasn't really in view. Thanks for the review as always.

Feerzo 14: Thanks, glad I can entertain.

KlockB: You know, this is something I thought about for a while. Ultimately the thing is, I'm not really certain how to implement a new deity without changing the story line I've planned too much. Who knows, I might think something up, but for now I don't have it planned.

Overseer Nooter: I haven't heard anything about China having a gate in ancient times, if anything I'd have figured it would have been Ancient Rome or Greece. If you've got any link to look at on that, I'd be glad to read more, but the wiki doesn't have anything on it. As for the Chinese troops and their experience, the Sino-Vietnamese War was 28 years ago, more than enough time for combat soldiers to retire and the way wars are fought to change. Now granted, they've had some limited experience against Somali pirates and in Xinjiang, but those aren't really proper wars. Now despite the lack of experience, they are absolutely a capable fighting force and one of the most modern militaries in the world, but they don't have the experience that Russian or American forces have from their constant wars.

GREAT CELESTIAL-DRAGON: You're absolutely right that there should be some sort of disease outbreak or something. The thing is, that would completely change the plot of the original story and by extension this one. Realistically there should be a disease exchange similar to what happened when Europeans came to the Americas in the 15th century, but I feel like that's a topic better tackled in another story rather than this one.

Another S.T.A.L.K.E.R: I wouldn't say the Chinese have a tendency towards expansionism that's any greater than say Russia, ultimately I try to portray the soldiers as having their own opinions and views rather than just following their leader's political ambitions.

adamheyman: We'll see what happens.

As of the time I posted this chapter, only two people voted in the poll for American point of view (I assume its hellisonfire345 and Nicolas) and they voted oppositely so I'm going to leave the poll up until the next chapter then make my decision. Thanks for reading, as always I didn't answer all of the reviews, but I do read them all.


	22. Chapter 22

Taras cursed as he was nearly hit by a falling chandelier. The Imperial Palace clearly didn't experience earthquakes often, and as a result it became extremely dangerous to stay inside. Its walls were sturdy enough to hold, but anything not bolted down became a potentially lethal falling object.

The captives his team had rescued followed him as they sprinted through the Palace hallways. They finally reached a window leading to the outside. It wasn't the one that Taras' team had entered through, but he didn't care at this point. No one was going to notice a broken window in all of this madness.

Shattering the window with a fallen brick, Taras cleared away the shards with his rifle's barrel before signalling for the captives to begin heading out. He was fairly certain they wouldn't encounter any resistance on the way out, the guards probably had better things to do.

The earthquake suddenly stopped, only a minute after it had started. While it made things easier, they were by no means safe. Taras knew aftershocks would probably kick in soon and they needed to get back to their safehouse before the streets became filled with too much rubble.

One of the captives, a Japanese woman, suddenly stopped in her tracks and refused to exit through the window. She screamed something in Japanese that he couldn't understand and reacted violently when one of the operatives tried to force her through.

Taras turned to one of the English speakers. "Why she no go?"

The Japanese woman yelled out once more as an operative once again attempted to get her through the window.

"She says there's still someone left in the Palace, a woman named Noriko," the woman who'd spoken to Taras earlier translated.

Taras swore under his breath. "Why didn't she tell us about it before?" he asked himself in Russian.

The Japanese woman still refused to go through the window. Quickly, he thought through his options. If they left someone still captive in the Palace, it could end up very bad for her. The Imperials would probably blame the others' escape on her and would likely subject her to wasn't an option.

On the other hand, he couldn't just bring the other captives along while they looked for the woman. Not only would that be endangering them, but it would also compromise any hopes of stealth they had. That also wasn't an option.

Taras made his decision. He addressed the other three members of his team, "Ustin, Slava, get the prisoners to the safehouse as quick as you can. Oleg, you're coming with me. There's still a captive in this place and we need to find her."

All three operatives nodded in confirmation. Whatever thoughts they had were kept to themselves, Taras had command here and no one questioned his orders.

He immediately turned to the woman who'd helped translate. "Two of us help you get safe. Other find Noriko, tell Japan girl."

She nodded and started speaking to the Japanese woman. The woman nodded in understanding and began to climb through the window. Ustin and Slava continued to direct the rescued captives while Taras checked his gear to make sure everything was alright.

Certain everything was in place, Taras tapped Oleg on the shoulder and signalled for him to follow. With guns raised, they headed back into the Palace.

* * *

Viktor's squad had found their campsite near a small patch of trees by the side of the road. Tired from the day's events, both Chinese and Russian squads chose to have a small meal before simply sleeping in their vehicles. The night passed without any trouble.

Morning came and a small campfire was constructed in the hopes of having a slightly better meal for breakfast than they'd had last night. Viktor sighed as he laid down against a log, quietly sipping a cup of tea.

In the middle of the night, they'd felt an minor earthquake in the region. Caelia and Arpeggio had woken up terrified, claiming that this sort of thing never happened. Giselle, in her typical dramatic fashion, claimed it was a sign Hardy was angry with the world and that something needed to change. None of the soldiers gave her any thought of course.

Viktor continued to sip his tea as the others gathered around the fire. Naturally, the Chinese soldiers tended to stay separated from the Russians, but Tian chose to sit with Viktor's squad. _Probably trying to get more familiar with us._

Everyone was there except Tomas, who Viktor had sent out to scout the area with his new drone. They broke out their ration packs and began to heat them on the fire. Unlike the Chinese or American field rations, Russian IRPs didn't come with a chemical heater.

Viktor had begun to eat his meal when Kilment suddenly yelled out, "What the fuck is that!"

The grenadier was pointing at Tian, specifically his ration and what looked to be a disgusting looking white mass. Viktor couldn't help but gag a little. Russian IRPs weren't fantastic, but at least they didn't look like that.

Tian looked up with a surprised face. He blinked before responding in confusion, "It's rice?"

Kilment burst out laughing. "Like hell it is! That looks like someone mashed together a bunch of maggots!"

"Surely it's not the only thing he's got, what else do you have?" Igor asked.

Tian shrugged and pulled out what Viktor assumed was supposed to be some sort of poundcake. To him, it looked more like a piece of plastic.

Sergei looked at the thing in awe. "Why's it so shiny?" he asked while gaping. "It's like they're trying to feed you artificial food."

"I thought all military food was like this, what do you guys have?" Tian asked while looking down at his meal.

"We've got something better, that's for certain," Kilment snorted.

Igor proudly displayed his meal. "Stewed beef with a side of crackers and pashtet."

Viktor smiled at that. The stewed beef was one of the better entrees, and while the crackers were rather flavourless, they went fine with pashtet.

"We also sometimes get chocolate," Alina mentioned while holding up a bar.

Tian shrugged and went back to digging at his disgusting looking slop. Viktor spotted him occasionally glance at the Russian food while he consumed his ration. The Russians simply smiled and enjoyed their food.

Soon they'd be back on the road again.

* * *

It had been a long time since Tomas had gone hunting. He used to do it with his father in the forest next to his hometown, but he hadn't done that for years. Hunting was one of his favorite sports, it was the main reason he'd become a marksman, yet recently he had little time to do it.

Until now.

Tomas took a deep breath in as he looked through his SVDM's scope. Unlike the trips with his father where they'd bring back deer or rabbits, Tomas was hunting men. Lying down on an overlooking hill, he observed a patrol of soldiers as they rested their horses. Tomas breathed out as he lined up a shot on the man who looked to be their officer.

He'd spotted the group almost immediately. They made no attempt at hiding themselves and his new ZALA 421-08 drone allowed him to scan the surrounding area with ease. For an experienced hunter like Tomas, it was all too simple.

As far as he could tell, these men were not Imperial soldiers. They wore different armor from the legionnaires the Russians had gone up against, and their shields were decorated with a grey diamond on a purple background, rather than the traditional Imperial design they'd seen. If Tomas had to guess, these men were from Elbe.

Tomas wanted to take the shot. It would be extremely easy to just pull the trigger and end his target's life, but he couldn't do that. Not yet at least.

Slowly, he pulled out his radio, while keeping his rifle trained on the soldier. "Sergeant, this is Tomas. I've spotted a group of soldiers. I believe they're from Elbe, should I engage? Over."

There was a short wait until the sergeant responded, "Copy that, Tomas. You say they're from Elbe? Are you sure? Elbe is fairly far away from here. Over."

"They're not Imperial, they have different equipment. The nearest kingdom to us according to our maps is Elbe, they have to be from there. Over."

There was a pause before the sergeant spoke up again, "Can you see the designs on their shields? Over."

Tomas quickly relayed what he'd observed, "Grey diamond over a purple background. Over."

"Caelia has confirmed they are from Elbe. How many of them are there? Over."

Tomas peaked through his scope to make sure he hadn't missed anyone during his initial count. "Three men. Two foot soldiers and one officer. Over."

Tomas could feel the order coming. "You are cleared to engage. Eliminate the foot soldiers, but bring the officer back alive if able. I'd like to question him. Over."

"Roger that, sergeant. I'll bring him back to you still kicking. Over."

Setting down his radio, Tomas refocused on the soldiers. He shifted his aim away from the officer and targeted one of the foot soldiers. Exhaling, he slowly applied pressure to the trigger of his rifle. The rifle jerked as a bullet exploded from its barrel.

His target dropped to the ground with a spray of blood. _One shot, impacted the chest._

The other two soldiers looked around in frantic surprise. They drew their swords, but couldn't find the source of their comrade's death.

Tomas let loose another shot from his rifle.

This time he was off target by a little, the bullet went through the foot soldier's leg instead of the torso like Tomas had been aiming for. Almost immediately, the man fell to the ground screaming in pain.

A second shot silenced the man. _Two shots, impacted the leg and chest._

Seeing his men die around him, the officer began to run for his horse. He sprinted at the animals at an incredible speed for someone wearing full armor. Ultimately it was useless though.

One last shot rang out.

The officer fell down in pain as his ankle was impacted by Tomas' bullet. Packing up his gear, Tomas headed down the hill to take his prisoner.

He loved hunting.

* * *

The Magic City of Rondel, with its gleaming white buildings and its vibrant population of mages, now flew the Russian flag. Tullus stood on top of a building looking over the city.

Unlike Bellnahgo, Imperial resistance at Rondel was very minimal. Many mages hadn't liked the Empire even before the Russians arrived, to them Russian rule was better. It helped that the Russians brought with them their advanced technology. Almost immediately, the mages became enthralled with computers and cellphones, trying to analyze them and augment them with magic.

The Russians also provided work opportunities for mages down on their luck. Magic was apparently still mostly a mystery to the Russians, so they'd been hiring mages to undergo tests and experiments. Tullus was fairly certain a few were even going to be heading through the gate and meet with Russian scientists.

There was of course some resistance, occupation by a foreign power was never completely welcomed, but it was minimal. It mostly came in the form of disgruntled mages who got drunk then tried to do something stupid. Their magic was what made it dangerous.

If Tullus remembered correctly, they managed to immobilize a Russian truck with a magical attack, before being arrested by the men on board. No one was seriously harmed in the altercation, but the supplies being carried were delayed. While annoying, it was far better than what Bellnahgo had faced.

Unlike the Bellnahgo, there was no actual organized resistance in Rondel. Russian soldiers didn't have to go door by door clearing out city blocks, and they didn't have to form a militia to assist with the regular soldiers. _I guess that's what happens when you don't destroy the city before occupying it._

Tullus thought on his plans for the city. The first thing they were going to try and do was to establish plumbing and electricity in Rondel. That wouldn't be an easy task.

Rondel was a mess of poor city planning and terrible design. The mages who'd constructed it, while powerful and intelligent, had put very little thought into actually planning the city. In order to establish plumbing, they'd have to probably rip up several roads and halt all traffic until pipes could be placed.

Electricity would be slightly easier, they could hang wires along poles and then connect buildings with the wires, but getting the generators up and running would take time. Tullus supposed the people of Rondel could live without it for the time being, they'd been fine so far.

Tullus' thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind him, "Sir, you have someone waiting on the telephone."

Tullus turned to face the man who'd addressed him. It was one of the Bellnahgo Militiamen, easily identified by their mix of Imperial armor and Russian technology. He was wearing the standard legionnaire armor, but a radio and flashlight were clipped to his belt.

The militiaman also carried an AK-74 rifle. Unlike the Russian soldiers and their AK-12s, the Bellnahgo militia mostly used spears and swords, with the exception of a few such as the man in front of him. Even then, the guns they used were heavily modified, according to Cheslav. The magazines they used only held ten bullets and they couldn't fire fully automatic like the Russian guns. In short, they weren't fully trusted by the Russians.

"Alright, I'll be there shortly."

The militiaman bowed. "Of course, sir."

Tullus sighed as he took one last look at the city. Business never waited for anyone.

* * *

Taras was lost. The Imperial Palace was massive and they'd only planned to be infiltrating one section of it. In retrospect, he should have asked the woman where the remaining captive was. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

A squad of guards suddenly rushed in front of them. They wore white capes and had colored plumes on their helmets. _Imperial officers..._

Taras ducked himself behind a pillar as they passed, Oleg did the same. If they saw him, they didn't seem to care. Instead, they continued running forward with urgency.

Letting out a breath, Taras signalled for them to continue forward. The Palace was a wreck, shattered objects littered the ground and decorations were strewn around the hallways. The two operatives continued looking for Noriko.

Another group strode past the two Spetsnaz operatives. At the head was a blonde man dressed in purple and gold clothing, behind him followed three other men and a squadron of guards. He dragged with him an Asian woman in tattered rags. _There's our target._

Taras held up his hand, signalling to let them pass. The group went by without noticing them. He then signalled for them to trail the group. Moving silently, Taras and Oleg carefully followed the men as they weaved through the Palace.

The men came upon a massive door and burst through it with the blonde man at their head. Taras and Oleg slowly followed behind. Through the doorway, Taras spotted the green uniforms of the JSDF, two soldiers with rifles and two men in finer clothing. _Fuck. What the hell are they doing here?_

The blonde man said something Taras didn't understand. He looked to Oleg to translate.

"The man on the throne is his father, the red head is his sister. I think he's a prince."

They continued to speak, the conversation getting slightly heated.

"He says there's going to be an aftershock. He says that Noriko told him. I think we have confirmation that's the woman who we're looking for," Oleg whispered.

Taras nodded and continued to observe the situation. "Got it…"

The prince said something else, but before Oleg could translate, one of the JSDF men charged at him. He socked the prince in the face, causing him to go flying backwards. Another man came at the JSDF soldier, but he was quickly knocked to the ground.

A short JSDF woman came running forward and freed Noriko from her restraints. The prince slowly stood to his feet, he began to laugh before uttering out what sounded to be a threat. Snapping his fingers, the guards stepped forward with their shields raised. There was going to be a battle, Spetsnaz couldn't just stay on the sidelines.

 _Fuck it, let's make an entrance then._ Taras grabbed a stun grenade off of his vest and nodded at Oleg. He pulled the pin on the stun grenade before throwing it into the room. Stealth was out of the window here.

An eardrum shattering bang exploded from the stun grenade as it released a blinding flash into the room. Most of the guards looked away, dazed from the explosion of light.

Taras and Oleg immediately entered through the door with their guns raised. Everyone in the throne room was disorientated from the stun grenade, even the JSDF.

"Hands in the air!" Taras shouted in Russian.

"Manibus in caelum!" Oleg repeated in Saderan.

A few of the guards were smart enough to follow their commands, but the majority didn't. Taras flicked his selector switch to automatic before opening fire.

Blood sprayed out of several guard's chests as bullets shot through them. A few of them snapped out of their daze and raised their shields, but the ancient tools did nothing to stop bullets.

The guards screamed as they were torn apart by modern technology.

Very quickly, Taras' twenty round clip went dry and he loaded another one in. Oleg did a similar process. The remaining Saderans cowered in fear of the operatives and immediately threw down their weapons.

"Keep watch on the remaining men, I'll secure the prince," he ordered Oleg.

The operative nodded and began directing the remaining guardsmen into the corner of the room. Taras sprinted over to the prince.

Crouching down in fear, the prince had a shocked expression on his face as he looked at his dead men. Taras reached the man and tried to grab him by the shoulder, but the prince threw away his hand.

Not willing to put up with any resistance, Taras jammed his gun stock into the prince's face, causing a tooth to fly out. Dropping the rifle to hang by his side, he wrapped one arm around the prince's throat and placed a pistol to the side of his head with the other. That seemed to pacify the man.

* * *

Kuribayashi recovered from the bright flash that had blinded everyone. She spotted two men in uniforms she'd never seen before, and a pile of corpses scattered across the floor. _How did they…?_

Prince Zorzal was being held by one of the men with a gun to his head. The man holding him didn't look very patient. Both of the men had masks on, but Kuribayashi knew who they were. Russian Spetsnaz, the best of the best.

Itami recovered from the flash soon after Kuribayashi did. He took in the situation before stepping forward and asking them in Saderan, "Are you Russians?"

They didn't give any confirmation. Instead, the man not holding Zorzal changed the subject, "Take Noriko with you, we're going to bring the prince with us."

Zorzal's eyes suddenly lit up in panic. "Wait you can't do that! I'm-"

The operative holding him hit him in the head with his pistol, silencing the prince. Kuribayashi smiled at the display. _Serves him right._

Princess Pina also protested, "Zorzal is heir to the throne! S-surely we could come to some sort of agreement!"

There was a short exchange in Russian between the two operatives before they responded, "We are taking him with us, there is no agreement to be made."

Itami chose to take Pina's side. "The prince won't be going anywhere, release him."

His demand was translated into Russian. The man holding Zorzal muttered something bitterly before throwing the prince to the ground. Zorzal scurried away from the Spetsnaz men.

"Fine, we're leaving."

Suddenly the man who'd thrown Zorzal to the ground aimed his pistol and shot the prince through his leg. Zorzal screamed in pain and clutched his leg. Tyuule ran to him from where she'd been watching on the side.

As the two operatives turned to leave, the one with a pistol said something in Russian.

"My vernemsya."

* * *

And that's chapter 22 for you all. Man I re watched episode 14 like twenty times for this chapter and each time the throne room scene was amazing, I'd forgotten how much I loved it. Anyways, six people voted in the poll, so I guess those six people decide this. There will be an American point of view, the vote was four to two in favor of it. I love democracy. I love the republic.

Wacko12: No they didn't, Tyuule's cell in in the Southern Imperial Palace while they infiltrated the Main Imperial Palace. I know its confusing, there's three different Imperial Palaces.

rdawamindra: Yeah... I think you answered why they didn't go to Italica. As for the Chinese plan, I think its just unnecessary to add it in, but who knows, I might find a place for it. Also, Arpeggio's gonna have a bigger role in the coming chapters especially considering the search for resources. I put some stuff in for Tomas, I'm going to try and give the squad members a perspective in the coming chapters while still focusing mainly with Viktor.

ABuzzmann: Thanks! It's no Here We Go Again or Manifest Destiny, but I like writing it and I'm glad people enjoy it.

Thanawat Sakulkeaw: Thanks!

Papon777: Welcome back from holiday! I've always wanted to visit Japan, hope you had a great time. I really liked reading who your favorite characters were, it gives me an insight on how the readers view them. Also thanks a ton for finding the Black Dogs in the manga, that helps a lot so thank you.

SPQR47: Cliffhangers, that's why.


	23. Chapter 23

Viktor smiled when he saw Tomas carrying a prisoner over his shoulder. The officer was struggling a little, but Tomas kept him in a firm grip with his pistol ready in the other hand. _Alive and kicking, just as promised._

"He cause you much trouble?" Viktor asked as Tomas strode into camp.

Tomas set the man down against a log before shrugging. "Not really, one of his buddies forced me to shoot him twice."

Viktor raised an eyebrow. "Alright, get something to eat. Good work out there."

Viktor walked up to the soldier. The man had a blood soaked bandage around his ankle, probably where Tomas had shot him, and was in noticable pain. Upon closer examination, the soldier looked rather young, too young to fight. Viktor knelt down to eye level with the kid, he could see the fear in his eyes.

Pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil, he began the interrogation, "Where are you from?"

"D-Dusan…" He realized something and clarified. "It's in Elbe. I-if you didn't know."

Viktor nodded and jotted that down. "You're an officer in Elbe's military?"

"Yes sir." The kid seemed to have gathered some courage.

"Why were you out here?" Viktor got down to the important question.

The kid did a quick glance towards Tomas before responding, "There have been dragon attacks in Elbe. We were trying to contact the Empire for help."

Viktor finished jotting down a note. "Where's the dragon been attacking?"

"It's been all around Elbe, it burned down Macek and attacked Schwarz Forest, but mainly it stays near the Tuba Mountains, we think it has a nest there."

"Mhmm…" Viktor closed his notepad and stood up. "Sergei, watch the prisoner and make sure he doesn't try anything. Luka, make sure Tomas' first aid doesn't fall apart."

The two men nodded and headed over to the kid while Viktor looked around for Tian. He found Tian with a couple Chinese soldiers laughing about something.

"Tian, I've got to talk to you about something," Viktor said while pulling out a map of Elbe.

Tian said something in Chinese, prompting the others to laugh, before standing up and walking to Viktor. "What is it, sergeant?"

"I talked to our prisoner, he confirms there's been dragon attacks in Elbe."

Tian's expression turned grim. "We can just avoid it right? It's not like we're trying to hunt the thing."

Viktor shook his head. "That would be ideal, but our prisoner says the dragon likes to hang out near the Tuba mountains. Those are the mountains Arpeggio says there are gold and copper deposits at."

"Tā mā de..." Tian muttered.

"We need to figure out something here or else we'll come back with only half our mission completed," Viktor said grimly.

Tian scratched his head. "Uhh, let me brew some tea, then we can figure out a plan."

Viktor rubbed his face while sighing. "Yeah, sounds good."

* * *

Foreign slaves in Sadera, it was either a miracle or a curse, Malikov still couldn't decide which. Spetsnaz operatives had rescued several Australian, Swedish, German, and American captives being held in the Imperial Capital itself. Not only that, but it was one of the royal family that had been keeping them captive.

He'd been happy when the word came in. Malikov now had all the justification he ever needed to continue operating in the Special Region, no foreign power was going to object after this.

Unfortunately, he also knew this meant that the militaries of Australia, Sweden, Germany, America, and most likely several NATO countries would soon demand entrance into the Special Region. While Japan would almost certainly cave to their demands, despite the growing nationalist movement in the Japanese population, that wouldn't be enough. They'd be asking for access through the Novinka gate as well.

Malikov would have to give access to at least the UN. He'd so far been dodging UN requests into the Special Region, and had the Russian representative shoot down any propositions to send UN Peacekeepers through the gate, but that couldn't last. Public outcry was going to be huge here and Malikov had to let through the UN at very least.

He still needed to announce China's entry into the gate, that had been kept secret from the public eye. Chinese and Russian forces had been working well together, according to his reports, so this could be a good opportunity to show unity between Russia and China.

Malikov stretched in his chair with a yawn. He'd been working for far too long that night.

Perhaps it wouldn't be all bad to allow foreign troops through Novinka. Bellnahgo had recently finished cleaning up damages to the city, though not all the buildings were finished constructing, evidence of the destruction Russian forces had caused to the city were minimal. If he allowed for foreign powers to enter, it could show how Russia was helping the local people.

Russian relations with the European Union had become increasingly strained since the War in Donbass and the Annexation of Crimea, allowing EU nations through the gate might serve to help ease tensions. German and Swedish forces could spearhead an EU coalition that fought alongside Russian troops to strengthen the relationship between Russian and the EU.

Australia would probably choose to send ANZAC forces through the Ginza gate, due to its proximity, but that didn't mean other Commonwealth nations such as the UK or Canada couldn't send forces to Novinka. Doing so would create ties between the Commonwealth and Russia, something that Malikov had few opportunities to do previously.

The only bad thing that could come out of this was America. Ginza was already the choice location for American forces to enter through, and they already had an expeditionary force in the Special Region. This would only cause more American forces to enter the gate, and they wouldn't be reliant on Russia like the EU and Commonwealth.

Still, in Malikov's opinion, the good outweighed the bad here.

Picking up his phone, he dialed his aide. "Get me Ambassador Korolyov on the phone. I need to speak with him about the United Nations."

* * *

Taras rubbed his head as he sighed in anger. They'd returned from their mission last night and all the rescued captives were now in the safehouse. It was a successful mission by all means, but to Taras it still felt like a failure. They had the opportunity to captured the one responsible for this mess, but they were stopped by the JSDF.

Standing from his seat, Taras paced around the room. Undirected anger was pointless, but channeling that anger could give him strength.

He knew that his team had similar thoughts on the matter. When Oleg got back, he'd gone into a fit of rage before coming back to his senses. Ustin and Slava were similarly angered when Taras told them what happened.

Taras sighed, pacing around and thinking about what could have happened didn't accomplish anything. He decided to check on his captives. Climbing up the stairs to the attic, Taras was immediately hit with human stench. None of the captives had received a shower in a long time, the smell was evident.

Rosina was walking around, tending to those who needed it. The woman was persistent, that was for sure. She'd ignored here own problems and instead focused on other people.

"Everything thing going well here? Taras asked.

Rosina looked up at the captain. "It's overcrowded, we're low on medicine, water is in short supply, and we only get food every once in a while, but it's far better than staying with the Empire. For that we thank you."

Taras nodded as she listed off the problems. Mizari's shipments of supplies had stopped after the earthquake hit, Taras assumed it would be a little while until they could get fresh supplies. "What about the people we just rescued, are they doing well?"

Rosina looked down at the floorboards. "Most of them are ok, but…" She took a deep breath. "Several of women are… scarred from what they experienced. I don't know if they'll ever recover from it."

Taras nodded grimly. "Just hang tight and we'll get you out of here as soon as we can."

* * *

The Masked Men were in Sadera, Diabo almost couldn't believe it. He had assumed that the Green People had some sort of presence in the city due to Pina, but the Masked Men, that wasn't something he had expected.

Not only had they infiltrated the city, but they also attacked his brother openly, beating him before using their magic to cripple him. If it wasn't for the Green People, Zorzal might not have survived the encounter. _Shame, that would have made things easier._

The Masked Men had displayed their power to his father in their actions. Now he was working with the senate for peace, or at least what remained of it. Most of the senators had evacuated the senate building when the Green People sent their warning, but a few radicals refused to do so. Now most of the senate wished for peace at any cost.

That couldn't happen.

Peace at any cost meant a total collapse for the Empire. Far flung territories would lose their faith in the Emperor's ability to protect them and revolt in favor of ruling themselves, rebellions would only spread until Sadera itself faced one. Diabo couldn't let that come to pass.

Perhaps Zorzal could be reasoned with for the survival of the Empire. Entering his brother's chambers, he spotted Zorzal's favorite slave, Tyuule tending to him. He never trusted the warrior bunny, her loyalty always seemed disingenuous and it felt like she was plotting something. Tyuule hurried off to collect something and Diabo walked to his brother's bedside.

"How sad, Brother."

Zorzal looked over at him. "Diabo?"

"The majority of the senate is clamoring for peace. At this rate, it will be essentially unconditional surrender." Diabo despised the thought of such a thing. "To avoid that-"

"Stupid tricks." Zorzal muttered turning over in his bed.

"Brother." This was an important issue that Diabo needed to discuss. If they couldn't cooperate, it could spell disaster for the Empire.

Zorzal didn't even look over. "It's hard to pretend to be a fool. I can't use my smarts to make my way through life like you can. I'd just be tortured to death like our stepbrother Kati."

Diabo remembered his stepbrother. Young, intelligent, ambitious, Kati was ready to take the throne from Molt. That didn't happen, Diabo's father didn't show any mercy. "Father was young then. Thus, he feared the child the previous emperor left behind. But now he's old."

"I see you've been trying to become the next emperor, while I've been playing the fool."

Diabo mouth opened and he turned to face Zorzal. _Have I been that obvious?_

"But no matter what you do, I'll be the one appointed the next emperor."

 _The arrogance in him!_ Diabo's voice turned bitter. "I don't think Father favors you so highly-"

"That's exactly why." Zorzal interrupted. "To bring an end to this war, the emperor has to retire, but Father won't actually give up power. He intends to make me emperor because I'm easy to control, and then rule from the shadows."

Diabo couldn't believe his ears. To do something like that would threaten the Empire's integrity to the core. "That's irresponsible! What happens after Father's gone?"

"Tyuule!" Zorzal dodged his question.

The warrior bunny stepped forward. "The Masked Men took all of the captives being held in the Main Imperial Palace. There are a few slaves in the Southern Palace who weren't rescued. However, several men were sold off to slave traders. We can't figure out where the traders sold them to."

"What about this Hiroki?" Zorzal asked.

"He died after being sold to the mines," Tyuule answered calmly.

"Clumsy fool…" He scratched his head. "Whatever, release the slaves in the Southern Palace."

Diabo knew what his brother was trying. "You want to hand over the slaves of your own free will, and make them think you were apart of the dove faction?"

Zorzal ignored Diabo. "If I'd known this was going to happen, maybe I would have been nicer to Noriko."

Diabo curled his lip. Zorzal was trying to appear like he was in favor of peace in order to become emperor. Doing so would mean his brother's incompetence would be leading the Empire, something Diabo couldn't accept.

"No, not only did you save her from being shared by multiple men, you gave her the privilege of being chosen by you. She should feel honored," Tyuule responded. Diabo shot the warrior bunny a glare, she was planning something.

Zorzal began to embrace Tyuule and muttered something out. "Diabo, decide who you're going to serve, me, or Father… Pina is a traitor now, I suppose."

Diabo turned away from the scene in front of him disgusted. He walked out of the room steaming with anger. Once more, he promised himself that Zorzal would never become emperor.

* * *

Sergei sat next to their prisoner as Luka redid the bandage on his ankle. The kid winced as Luka wrapped the dressing around his wound. Sergei couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"What is you name?" Sergei's Saderan was better than some of his other squadmates, but it wasn't perfect.

The kid looked up. "Filip." He suddenly remembered something. "I-I mean Filipian, of house Tesar."

Sergei pondered the name for a moment, it wasn't anything like the Imperial names he'd heard. "Why are you out here, Filip?"

Filip looked at him confused for a moment. "I told your officer, I'm here to ask for-"

Sergei stopped him. "No, I mean like why you in Elbe army."

"It's my duty, I have to," Filip responded.

Luka looked up from his work. "Why that? Why it you duty?"

Filip gazed down at the ground. "I'm the third son of house Tesar. My oldest brother is busy managing our lands and my other brother died at Alnus Hill. I have the duty to fight for our house."

"But you not even man yet. How old you? Fifteen? Sixteen?" Sergei guessed.

"I turned fifteen years of age last month," Filip said while prodding the dirt with a stick. "I'm old enough to fight."

Sergei sighed. Filip should have been in school, not on the battlefield. He supposed the customs were different in the Special Region.

"What about you?" Filip suddenly asked. "What do the Masked Men want with Falmart?"

"Empire attacked us, we here for revenge," Sergei explained. "And we Russians, from Russia. Not Masked Men."

Luka spoke up, "Eh, that just one reason. We also want resource and knowledge."

Filip nodded mutely. He looked up at Sergei. "What's it like across the gate? What is Russia like?"

Sergei smiled. "It big, Russia very big. Lot of different places. We have advanced technology, do many things with it."

Sergei could see the curiosity in Filip's eyes. "What sort of technology?"

Pointing at the BTR parked next to them, Sergei spoke, "We have many thing like that, they move fast and make long travel easy." He took a moment to think of something else. "We also have small brick, let us communicate with far away."

Luka pulled out his cellphone. "Like this, let us talk to other people far away."

Filip stared in amazement as Luka opened the phone using its touch screen. "Russia has all that?"

Sergei nodded. "Also much more, too much to explain."

Filip went silent, probably thinking about Russian technology. Luka finished up his work on Filip's ankle and took a seat next to them. A silence fell over them.

Sergei suddenly thought of something. "You have a god, Filip?"

Filip blinked twice before answering, "Zufmuut is my family's chosen deity, but we worship all the gods as well."

Sergei pulled out his bible from his pocket. "Many Russian be Orthodox Christian, I devote follower. We follow Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

"Your god's name is Jesus Christ?" Filip asked.

"Eh, sort of." Sergei didn't want to try and explain the Holy Trinity.

Filip nodded slowly. "Is your god a benevolent god?"

Sergei nodded with a smile. "God help me through many thing."

"Huh… maybe I should start praying to your god, Zufmuut hasn't helped me through anything."

"Don't expect thing for free. Must work hard to get goal," Sergei advised.

Their sergeant suddenly approached them from behind. "Sergei, Luka, get the prisoner a blindfold and deal with him. We're heading out in fifteen minutes."

Sergei stood up in surprise. "Sir, we're going to execute him?!"

Their sergeant spoke sternly, "We can't bring him with us, and if we let him go he'll probably warn some of his friends. We've done this before, what's the problem?"

"He's just a kid, sir! We can't execute him, he didn't even attack us, we attacked him!" Sergei protested.

Luka was similarly baffled. "Sergeant, he's not an Imperial, he's from Elbe. The kid had no part in attacking Novinka."

Their sergeant sighed. "What do you want me to do? We can't just let him run wild, he'll probably die out here alone and wounded. Even if he makes it back he'll end up warning Elbe or the Imperials about us. We can't let him come with us either, he'll probably just run off in the night and get killed or slit one of our throats when we're not looking."

Sergei was silent. He didn't have an answer. Luka was similarly quiet.

"I don't like it either, but it has to be done. Shooting him is a lot better than letting him being torn apart by Black Dogs if we let him go. The quicker it's over, the quicker we can forget about it, so get it done." Their sergeant immediately turned and headed over to the Chinese squad to discuss something.

Sergei and Luka looked at each other silently.

Filipus figured out what was happening. He scrambled backwards from the two men. "W-wait please, no! I'll do anything!" Filip looked between the two men frantically.

Neither man moved.

"Please… I love Russia! I want to go to Russia and drive your iron chariots! I-I can use your magic brick and talk to people far away! I love Russia, I'll be Russian!" He looked with a hopeful smile at Luka and Sergei.

Sergei looked at the ground silently.

Filip frantically glanced around. "Fuck the Empire, fuck Elbe! I'll be Russian! I'll become an Orthodox Christian! Fuck Zufmuut! I love Jesus Christ!"

Sergei sighed and nodded to Luka. The two man grabbed Filip by the arms and brought him onto his one good foot. They began to walk him away from the camp.

Filip began to sob. "P-please… What can I do? I-I'll kill Imperials for you, be your slave! Anything!"

Sergei stopped the man just on the outskirts of camp. Tears streaked down Filip's face. Sergei sighed before handing Filip a large stick to walk with. "Walk that direction until find city. Do not return to army."

Letting out a breath of relief, Filip nodded immediately. "U-understood, I'll never go back to the army! I'll go to Russia, be Russian! Thank you, thank you!"

Sergei gestured for him to walk and Filip started to limp forward. He was still shaking, but his cries of panic had died down. Sergei muttered a prayer for the man and lifted up his rifle.

A gunshot rang out through the camp. Filip dropped to the ground dead.

* * *

Chapter 23, hurray. Writing is always my favorite thing to do on the weekends.

Blazblade: Tyuule is a character I'm not exactly sure of what to do with. In the regular story she constantly tries to goad the JSDF into destroying the Empire with her schemes, but here I'm not 100% sure what she'd try and do. I'll think on it.

anaspautina: Glad you liked it, it didn't really feel that special when writing it.

Evowizard25: I was going to try and fit in Kuribayashi doing her thing, but then I had a lot of trouble getting the Spetsnaz in the action, so I ultimately went with that scene. Also I'm surprised to like this better than Here We Go Again, that story in my opinion is like god tier writing, probably because it comes from an actual serviceman.

Feerzo 14: So I've got a couple ideas for what I'll do when this is done. The one that keeps coming back is having an Imperial general try and beat the JSDF in a sort of guerrilla war, but I'm not sure how realistic that is so its just something I think about every once in a while for now.

rdawamindra: So in the original scene, Molt just sorta sits there silently until the very end when the JSDF turns to leave which is why he's not really a major factor in the scene. Now they could have taken Molt, but they also don't want to start conflict with the JSDF without first getting permission from their superiors. Also American point of view is gonna come out either next chapter or the one after that, still working it out.

tamerlan110: I love the movie, glad its so popular all around the world.

jimmin190: Like I said, not 100% what to do with Tyuule as of right now.

Papon777: Details on the Spetsnaz operatives are intentionally kept vague to reflect the secrecy that's kept around them. Might reveal some stuff in the future, but for now it's a secret.

hellisonfire345: Thank you, more chapters will keep coming if you guys keep liking it.

theaxgame: Well right now I'm trying to stick with stuff mentioned in the manga and anime, but once I run out of those creatures I'll probably branch out.

Again, didn't respond to every review since the majority of them I can't really respond to, but as always I read all of them and enjoyed them all. Thanks for reading.


	24. Chapter 24

Camilo Marquez, current president of the United Nations Security Council and Peruvian representative to the UN, began to speak into his microphone. The Security Council, consisted of representatives from the Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, Kuwait, Poland, Peru, Belgium, Germany and the permanent Security Council members of France, China, Britain, the U.S., and Russia. Everyone went silent as Marquez spoke.

"Attention, the 8,762nd meeting of the Security Council is called to order." He gently tapped his gavel as a formality. "The provisional agenda for this meeting is the situation in the Special Region and the potential involvement of United Nations Peacekeeping forces. The agenda is adopted." He once more tapped the gavel.

Damir Korolyov, Russian representative to the UN Security Council, sat patiently waiting for the man to finish up. Most of the time, Security Council meetings didn't achieve resolutions of any meaningful impact, especially since for the last few meetings he'd had orders from President Malikov to block any resolutions concerning the Special Region.

But today was different, he had new orders.

"In accordance with Rule 14 of the Council's Provisional Rules and Procedure, I invite Mr. Goya Sozui, Japanese representative to the United Nations, to participate in this meeting." Marquez tapped his gavel to officiate the invitation. "It is so decided."

Korolyov glanced at the Japanese man. Though not on the Security Council, Japan was invited to all meetings concerning the Special Region, for obvious reasons.

"The Security Council will now begin its consideration of item one of the agenda. I now give the floor to Mrs. Erin Ward. You have the floor, madam."

"Thank you Mr. President." Ward adjusted a few of her papers before continuing, "Months ago, Novinka and Ginza were both tragically attacked by a nation from the Special Region. In response to these attacks, the Russian Federation and the State of Japan both mobilized their military forces to deal with the threat…"

Korolyov tuned out as she recapped the events that took place since the gates had opened. Ward was from America, but she was officially here to represent the Secretary General. He quietly glanced at his papers and shuffled them around in preparation for his own speech.

"Since these events took place, reports from anonymous sources have painted a grim situation beyond the gate. It has been accused that military forces in the Special Region may have used excessive force against their adversaries and committed acts that may have violated the Geneva Conventions. "

Korolyov wanted to roll his eyes, but he restrained himself. It wasn't like they had any actual evidence of such things, it was all just rumours that had circulated the internet. Whether those rumors were true or not, Korolyov didn't really know, but he was going to deny them regardless.

Ward began to finish up her speech, "It is the belief of the Secretary General that these accusations should be investigated by Peacekeepers from the United Nations with cooperation from both Russia and Japan. Thank you, Mr. President."

Marquez cleared his throat and spoke, "I thank Mrs. Ward, I now give the floor to those council members who wish to make statements. The Russian Federation has the floor."

Korolyov rearranged his papers one last time before beginning, "Thank you Mr. President and members of the Security Council. Since the gate first opened in Novinka, and still to this very day, I can assure the Security Council that Russian forces have acted in complete accordance with the Geneva Conventions and have used only necessary force when dealing with their adversaries."

Mrs. Ward glared at him as he denied her claims. She obviously didn't believe him, nothing Korolyov said would make her change her opinion, but both of them knew that she had no solid evidence to the contrary.

"However, due to the Russian Military's observations in the Special Region, we have come to the conclusion that the same can not be said for the Saderan Empire," Korlyov transitioned to what Malikov had ordered him to deliver.

Several of the representatives suddenly gained interest in his speech. They'd expected him to deny the claims, but this was different.

Korylov took a deep breath then continued. "The Saderan Empire has committed various crimes against humanity. This includes, but is not limited to: the enslavement of other sentient species, the murder of hundreds of their own citizens, and the systematic rape of prisoners and slaves captured by their forces."

The press was eating this up, Korylov had a feeling that his face would be on the front page of every major newspaper across the world. They loved to publish whatever scraps of information they could gather about the Special Region, and he'd just revealed more than they'd ever officially revealed.

"To back up these claims, I assure you that we have eyewitness accounts from both Russian soldiers and Special Region inhabitants. Among them is a woman known as Caelia, who President Malikov had the pleasure of speaking to during an interview. She has and will testify to the atrocities committed by the Saderan Empire," shuffling his papers around, he prepared for the next part of his speech.

He saw the Japanese representative whisper something to his aide. The aide immediately nodded and quickly walked out of the room.

"Despite these ample witnesses, I am certain there will be skeptics to our reports." Korylov looked up from his papers and at the UN representatives. "For this we would like reveal that, in a recent operation by Russian forces in the Special Region, it was discovered that several German, Swedish, Australian, and American nationals had been kept as captives by the Saderan Empire."

Anyone who hadn't been paying attention before, certainly was now. Nearly every representative in the room sent an aide or messenger to relay the new information to their superiors.

"All former captives have been rescued successfully and are in the process of being returned through the gate, however they have suffered severe physical and mental trauma during their captivity. I am sure that this is enough evidence of the human rights abuse taking place beyond the gate."

None of the representatives showed very much emotion, they were all trained diplomats after all, but Korylov knew this came at a shock to them. _Might as well push forward with Malikov's orders._

He cleared his throat after allowing the representatives to finish sending out messengers and writing down notes. "As member states of the United Nations, it is our responsibility to preserve the rights of all sentient people, human or not. Because of this, I propose a resolution to send a UN peacekeeping mission into the Special Region, with peacekeepers acting in conjunction to already deployed forces."

Peacekeepers wouldn't be enough of course. Those nations that had citizens held captive would demand more, and Russia was prepared to give that. "In addition, the Russian Federation will be allowing forces from the European Union and several others through the Novinka gate."

The British, French, German, and Belgian representatives took special note of that.

Korylov smiled and finished off his speech, "I hope all representatives consider the dire circumstances in the Special Region and vote accordingly."

* * *

Alnus was quite possibly one of the strangest military base ever constructed. It was designed like a Napoleonic era fort, yet built with modern technology. Everything about it seemed strange, yet at the same time slightly familiar.

Still, it certainly could do its job well. While it was a strange design when considering modern opponents, they weren't facing modern opponents, and this style of fort allowed for good arcs of fire on any assaulting force. The Japanese certainly were creative thinkers.

Colonel William Page walked through the base curiously. He hadn't had time to observe the entire thing before now, there had been too much work. Dealing with the logistics of transporting over two thousand men through a tiny gateway was no easy task.

Fortunately for him, things seemed to have slowed down after his marines settled in. The Russians in the north had almost stopped their advance, and the Japanese were attempting to negotiate with the Saderans. That left him and his Marine Expeditionary Unit with little to do.

When America entered the Ginza gate, Page and his unit had been reassigned to be the first ones through. Plenty of the marines had been excited to enter a brand new world, especially one that had creatures only seen in fantasy before.

Page himself wasn't all that enthusiastic. So far all it had meant was a logistical nightmare for him, and he'd yet to actually get a good look at any of the fantasy species. But he supposed it was better than going to Afghanistan or some other shit hole in the Middle East.

He'd talked to a few of the JSDF men who'd seen the fantasy species, they seemed to be even more excited about this world than his own men. It made sense in a way, Japan has always loved its monsters.

In his opinion though, the JSDF weren't well enough prepared for the Special Region. Sure they were fighting against men with spears and swords, but the JSDF was just reckless. They also didn't have a long term plan for the region besides making peace with the Empire, and even that wasn't well thought out.

Were the Japanese really just going to hope that the Empire changed their ways if peace was made?

They also had problems with their men. A certain Itami Yoji had been given command of a recon unit, and several times made brash decisions that only through pure luck had turned out well for him. It was clear to Page that the man shouldn't lead, but for some reason they didn't demote or reassign him.

None of this was a major problem for the time being, but if Russia suddenly became a threat, he didn't know if his men could effectively rely on the Japanese.

There wasn't a lot he could do anyways; technically the American forces in the Special Region were under Japanese command, which forced him to follow their orders for the time being.

Page sighed and continued his walk throughout the base. At least nothing was happening, for now.

* * *

"You're sure the deposits are this way?" Viktor questioned as Arpeggio led them down a narrow mountain path.

"Absolutely, my magic doesn't lie," she affirmed without hesitation.

The Chinese and Russian squads had parked their vehicles at the base of a mountain where Arpeggio claimed there was uranium. While the Russians followed Arpeggio, the Chinese were left behind to guard their vehicles.

Viktor sighed as he looked around at environment around him. It was nothing but dull grey rocks of varying sizes. The path they went along was almost completely featureless, and despite the many turns and twists it took, everything looked the same as they went along it.

"Sergeant, how the fuck are we going to find uranium here?" Kilment complained. "There's nothing but stupid rocks."

"Yeah and where the fuck do you think uranium is found?" Luka responded.

Kilment gave him a blank stare.

"In rocks, you moron."

"Yeah, well not everyone can get a nice and fancy high class education like you," Kilment shot back.

Luka rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry that I was born into a family that cared about me; I'd much rather have been born into a poverty stricken household like yours."

Kilment shook his head and flipped Luka off before going silent.

Viktor smiled at his squad's antics as they continued on. In truth he wasn't all that confident they'd find uranium here either. Arpeggio had said something about there being a rumor of a cave that poisoned people so they decided to check it out; it helped that the mountain they were investigating was far away from the dragon they were trying to avoid.

When they arrived, the mage had done a quick check with her magic and had confirmed there was some sort of mineral she wasn't very familiar with. That was what they'd assumed the uranium was.

"Are we getting closer to it?" Viktor asked Arpeggio.

She looked back at him and smirked. "You're like an impatient child. Yes, we're almos-"

The sound of a man screaming silenced her.

Immediately, Viktor signalled for everyone to stop. He looked around at his squad, it hadn't come from any of them. Cautiously he moved forward, AK-12 at the ready.

Another scream sounded out, this time Viktor was able to get a better idea of where it came from. There was a large tunnel drilled into the side of the mountain path slightly farther along the trail; he was fairly certain that was where the scream originated.

Peaking through the tunnel, Viktor could see it led into a massive open cave. The cave was big enough to easily fit several BTRs or T-90s into it. He signalled his squad to follow and led them into the cave.

Suddenly he heard a crunching sound, almost like a dog eating a bone. Viktor snapped his head towards the noise and spotted a large figure covered in fur and sporting huge horns on its head. The figure was chewing on what Viktor assumed was a man's corpse.

Viktor immediately signalled for his squad to hide behind a nearby boulder. He took another peak, but immediately ducked back down in fear of being spotted.

"What the fuck is that thing?" he whispered out.

Tomas took one look at the monster then quickly went back into cover. "It's like one of those Greek myths…"

"It's a Minotaur," Caelia whispered. "Smaller than an Ogre, but also much tougher. You should be careful."

"Let's just avoid it, we can't risk fighting that thing." Viktor looked to Arpeggio. "Where do we go next?"

The mage breathed out and caused her fingers to glow with magic. She gently placed them onto the ground and stayed there for a few seconds. Slowly, Arpeggio stood and turned to Viktor.

She chewed on her lip, mustering the courage to speak. "I-It's that way," she said while pointing towards the Minotaur's direction.

Viktor leaned up against the boulder they were hiding behind and sighed. Of course the uranium had to be that way, the Minotaur was probably guarding it or something similar.

"Kilment, load your RPG with a HEAT round," he whispered to the grenadier. If the Minotaur was stronger than an Ogre then there was no way their rifles would be able to kill it.

"Yes sergeant," he replied. Immediately Sergei handed him the warhead and Kilment loaded it into the RPG.

Viktor thought through the basic outline of a plan he had. He'd come out from cover and fire a burst at the Minotaur's face to draw its attention. Kilment would then come out from the other side of the boulder and launch the rocket, hoping it would kill the beast. _Too much uncertainty._

He had no idea if the RPG would be enough to kill the damned thing, and he certainly didn't want to be caught surprised if it didn't. That was all the firepower they had though, Kilment had only brought his RPG-7v2; the RPG-32 was still in their BTR.

His eyes suddenly drifted toward Giselle. _Maybe..._

She noticed him staring almost immediately. "Hmm? What is it?"

"You're immortal," Viktor stated.

Giselle's face twisted in confusion. "So? Did you only just realize that?"

Viktor knew what he was going to do now. He looked the apostle in the eye and told her his plan, "I want you to charge the Minotaur and fight it while we stay back."

"Alone?!" She realized she was too loud and quickly quieted herself down. "I may be immortal, but I can still feel pain!" she whispered aggressively.

"Just trust me, please," Viktor asked.

Giselle sighed and stood to her full height. She slowly walked out from behind the boulder. "Be thankful we're underground, in Hardy's realm…" she muttered back at him.

She suddenly took off running towards the Minotaur. The beast saw her and stared with its head tilted in confusion.

Giselle landed her first blow on its arm, shocking the beast out of its confused state.

The Minotaur retaliated and threw a punch at her, barely missing due to Giselle's speed. She dodged another punch before cutting into its arm, angering it further.

"Kilment get your ass up and shoot that thing!" Viktor suddenly shouted.

The grenadier looked at him confused. "Aren't you worried about hitting Giselle?"

Just as he spoke, the Minotaur managed to land a punch on Giselle, sending her flying into the cave wall. She groaned in pain, but otherwise looked fine.

"Don't you listen?! She's immortal! Now shoot the fucking thing!"

Kilment nodded and shouted at his assistant, "Sergei! Let's go!"

Sergei scrambled to Kilment's side and looked around. "Clear to fire!"

Viktor could see the Minotaur pummeling Giselle, who'd lost her advantage of speed after the first punch. She still landed a few hits, but she was clearly receiving the worse beating.

"Firing!" Kilment yelled out as he squeezed the trigger to his RPG.

The rocket flew towards the Minotaur and impacted its stomach. Roaring the pain, the beast started charging.

"Fuck! It's coming for us, reload!" Viktor yelled at Kilment.

Sergei brought out another HEAT round, but the Minotaur was approaching too fast. They couldn't load it in time.

"Run!" Kilment yelled just before the Minotaur impacted the boulder they'd been hiding behind.

Rock shrapnel flew from it as the boulder essentially exploded from the Minotaur's charge. One of the rock shards flew into Viktor's vest, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. He'd probably be dead if he wasn't wearing the armor.

"Shoot its eyes! Don't let it see us!" Demian suddenly shouted, taking charge.

The Russian soldiers compiled, and bursts of lead started to fly into the Minotaur's face. Viktor couldn't see any major injuries, but at least the beast was covering its eyes to protect itself from the bullets.

Giselle suddenly charged the Minotaur from behind. She slammed her scythe's point into the monster's neck, causing it even more pain, but not quite killing it. The Minotaur roared while flailing its limbs around.

"Kilment what the fuck are you doing?! Shoot it!"

"Sergeant I-I can't-" Kilment stopped as the Minotaur stumbled closer to him. He scrambled away from the beast in fear.

Several beams of blue and yellow energy abruptly slammed into the Minotaur's head. The monster gave another roar, nearly deafening Viktor.

Another couple beams impacted it, causing it to fall to its knees. Viktor saw Arpeggio, with her beads in hand, sending magical energy at the Minotaur.

Once the beast stopped flailing around, Giselle was able to firmly plant her scythe into its spine, ending its life once and for all.

Viktor breathed out in exhaustion. _All this for a bunch of uranium huh?_

Suddenly Arpeggio collapsed to the ground. Viktor blinked several times before realizing what had happened. He took off sprinting towards her.

Viktor immediately went to his knees to inspect for wounds. Her robes were stained in blood, causing Viktor to panic. She had three shards of rock embedded in her robes, Viktor wasn't prepared for this.

"Luka! Get over here!"

* * *

So, I'm back. The funeral was a couple days ago, and I've gotten my head back into a normal state. I probably won't be posting with the same frequency as I was before, but who knows. I actually found writing to be pretty cathartic. I have you say, all of the kind words that you all gave for a stranger you've never met is just incredible and I thank all of you. I can't respond to them individually because there's just so many of them, but thank you all so much.


	25. Chapter 25

The UN resolution had passed unanimously. Not a single nation on the Security Council had voted against sending UN peacekeepers into the Special Region. Malikov grinned internally; everything was going according to plan.

Once the UN was in the Special Region, he'd be able to have Russian forces offload any humanitarian efforts onto them, leaving Russian forces more available to conduct missions.

In addition, the UN would serve as a credible source for all of the atrocities committed by the Saderan Empire. Not everyone believed Russian reports, but they'd certainly believe UN reports.

Of course, it would be a while before peacekeepers were actually deployed to the Special Region. The UN still needed to decide on a high command, which nations they'd draw peacekeepers from, and procuring supplies for the mission. Unlike every other military force on the planet, the UN had no resources of its own, it had to ask for everything it needed.

In Malikov's and many others opinions, UN peacekeepers were crippled by that fact.

Fortunately, the UN wasn't the only entity sending new forces into the Special Region. Malikov's offer to the European Union and nations apart of the Commonwealth had been accepted. Soon, Russia would be allowing hundreds of British, German, Swedish, and French soldiers into the Special Region.

Slowly, but surely, tensions between European nations and Russia were being eased. Crimea and Donbass were long forgotten, with nations now focused on dealing with the Saderan Empire.

Malikov couldn't believe his luck. A few years ago, the western world hated Russia, but now Russia was seen in a good light. If things kept going this way, Malikov would be able to strengthen relations with the EU even further. Becoming allies was certainly a long shot, but it wasn't utterly impossible.

At very least, this entire situation meant that Russia would no longer be seen as the bad guy.

* * *

Luka had grown up wanting to help people. His dream in life was to become a doctor and help those in need. This dream had followed him all throughout secondary school and was what drove him to apply for medical school. Through hard work and hours of studying, he managed to get into a good university where he was almost guaranteed to become a doctor once he passed.

Within a year however, Luka had dropped out.

University, he'd decided, was not for him. Despite this, Luka didn't give up his dream of becoming a doctor. Undeterred by his failure in the school system, Luka enlisted in the Russian Ground Forces and immediately applied to become a medic.

His hopes were that his experience in the military would allow him to get into the medical field after his contract ran out. Luka received his training courses as a medic and was then assigned to a motor rifle brigade, where he spent the majority of his service doing nothing.

It was only when he was sent through the Novinka gate that he saw any sort of combat.

As a result of the type of enemy they were fighting, the Russian Ground Forces had experienced only a few casualties and zero deaths. This meant that the extent of Luka's real medical experience was patching up minor injuries and applying first aid to one or two arrow wounds.

What laid before him was completely different.

The mage had three major wounds around her stomach, caused by rock shrapnel. Fortunately, the rocks had remained intact, instead of shattering inside of her. She was still alive, evident by her ragged breaths, but she was losing a lot of blood.

Acting quickly, Luka cut away her robes to get to the actual wounds. The three wounds were the main problem, she would start experiencing major blood loss unless he stopped the bleeding.

Very carefully, so that he wouldn't cause any more damage to her wound, Luka removed one of the rocks and immediately pressed a cloth over it. Pressure needed to be applied to stop the bleeding, but he also needed to deal with the two other wounds. He couldn't do both at the same time.

With a quick glance up, Luka saw Viktor was still kneeling besides him and the mage. He yelled to get his attention, "I need you to hold this onto the wound! Make sure you apply pressure!"

Luka's sergeant blinked once before nodding. Viktor put his hands onto the cloth, staunching the blood loss.

Moving onto the next wound, Luka once more removed the rock from her and placed another cloth onto it. He got Viktor to also hold onto the wound, and moved onto the third one.

The third rock hadn't gone as deep as the other two and wasn't bleeding as much. Luka removed the rock and was about to place a cloth onto the wound, when the mage suddenly opened her eyes.

She started to shake and tried to get up, hurting her wounds even more. Luka tried to hold her down, but was unable to do so while also trying to put pressure on her wound.

"Someone hold her down!" he shouted out.

Alina answered the call and pushed down on her, keeping her from flailing around. Luka was able to place a cloth on the last wound, stopping most of the bleeding.

Pulling out a large bandage, he began to wrap it around her stomach in order keep firm pressure on her wounds. While he was wrapping the bandage, the mage's eyes closed shut and she went completely limp.

Luka finished up his work and checked her pulse; she was still breathing, but it was rather shallow. Apart from that, she seemed relatively fine.

Taking a step back, Luka breathed out a sigh of relief. That was the worst injury he'd dealt with so far.

* * *

Arpeggio had been carried back down to the squad's BTR with special care. They also collected a sample of what Viktor suspected was uraninite, a key mineral for the processing of uranium. It was put into lead lined pouch just in case it was radioactive.

Luka and Alina finished loading Arpeggio into the BTR, and Viktor immediately set out to question the medic. He walked straight up to Luka, who'd leaned up against the side of the BTR in exhaustion.

"Will she live?" Viktor got straight to the point.

The medic looked up at Viktor and responded, "We've stopped the bleeding, so that's a start. She was very lucky, no arteries got hit and all of her internal organs seem to be fine, it should heal with no permanent injuries."

Viktor breathed out in relief; at least they didn't have to worry about that. "So we can continue just fine?"

Luka's expression suddenly turned into a frown. "Well… travel's probably not a good thing for her, but we don't exactly have many options…" The medic looked down. "There's uh, one last thing…"

"Spit it out," Viktor demanded.

"I gave her some antibiotics in order to make sure she wouldn't get any infections, as per normal procedure for large open wounds." He scratched his head, clearly hesitant about his next words. "She had a major allergic reaction to it, anaphylaxis, I had to administer epinephrine. Since I've only got penicillin derived antibiotics, I don't have anything to give her that won't cause a reaction."

Viktor cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"It means, sir, that I can't give her antibiotics without using up all my epinephrine."

"Does she need the antibiotics?" Viktor wasn't a medical expert, he only knew basic first aid, this was all foreign to him.

Luka took a sharp breath in. "Well, at the moment, not necessarily. For now it's only a preventative measure to make sure she doesn't get infected, but technically she doesn't need antibiotics until she actually gets an infection."

Viktor noted the hesitance in Luka's voice. "And I'm guessing you don't recommend this?"

The medic wiped his brow before speaking, "If she does get an infection, I can't treat it effectively. With the conditions we're in, there's a high chance of that happening. Normally, I'd recommend we get her to a field hospital, but…"

"We're too far away," Viktor finished for him.

Luka nodded. "I don't know what kind of nasty infections this world has, but considering the other things we've encountered, I wouldn't risk it."

Viktor rubbed his face with a sigh; this wasn't good. Arpeggio was their best lead for resources in the area and if she was incapacitated or even dead, it was essentially over.

"There's a city nearby, do you think that could have what you need?" It was the only thing that Viktor could think of. They'd have to rely on the locals for help.

"Maybe, they might have some herbs that help with infection or perhaps even magic to heal her completely," Luka replied while rubbing his head.

Viktor contemplated the idea for a moment longer before speaking, "Alright, get Arpeggio ready to move, I'm going to think up a plan."

The medic nodded and climbed into the BTR to attend to Arpeggio. Viktor turned around and headed towards the Chinese squad; he needed to consult Tian on the matter. He found the Chinese squad leader milling around near their vehicle.

Viktor approached the man immediately. "Tian, we need to make a plan."

Tian looked towards Viktor. "What's the issue now?" he asked.

"The mage who's been helping us find resources was critically injured. She's in a stable condition for now, but our medic is concerned with her wounds getting infected since she's allergic to our antibiotics," Viktor explained.

Tian sighed. "I presume you have an idea?"

"As far as I'm concerned, our only option is to get her local help," Viktor said while rubbing his head. "There's a major city nearby, Dusan, which probably has what we need."

"And what? We're just going to walk into an enemy city?" Tian asked skeptically.

Viktor sighed. "That's what I need help on. If we go in, they'll alert Elbe's army about us, and we'll be compromised."

"We don't exactly have disguises either…" Tian muttered out, thinking through their options.

"Maybe we could steal something from the locals to make us blend in?" Viktor suggested.

Tian shook his head. "That could go wrong in a lot of ways; I don't like the idea of killing civilians if they spot us." Suddenly he looked up at Viktor with wide eyes. "You have two other auxiliaries who could go into the city for us, why don't we just use them?"

Viktor glanced back at where his squad was, thinking over the idea. "Giselle would attract too much attention, but Caelia…"

"It'd be entrusting the entire mission to one person, but I think it's our only option," Tian said quickly.

Viktor nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll talk it over with her."

* * *

Taras tugged at his cloak as they traveled towards the southern gate of the Imperial Capital. The horse-drawn carts they rode in were cramped, especially since they were smuggling twenty two rescued slaves out of the city.

Wearing only a thin cloak to hide his gear, Taras felt like they'd be exposed at any moment. He only had the three other operatives on his team with him; if someone noticed they were Russian, things might get bloody for both sides. Despite his paranoia, however, no one gave them even a second glance.

"See any Imperial soldiers?" he whispered to Oleg.

The operatives shifted slightly from his position at the driver's seat. Oleg took a quick glance around before responding, "No visuals."

Taras wasn't satisfied and tugged his cloak tighter once more. "Keep a lookout."

Bringing enslaved civilians back to Earth had been the Spetsnaz operatives' objective since day one, but today was the first time they were actually extracting them.

The plan wasn't too complicated; they were to sneak the civilians out of Sadera, then bring them to a helicopter waiting several kilometers away from the city. After that, the civilians would fly to Oryol Base and Taras' team would return to Sadera.

It was a simple plan. In his experience, complicated planning just led to more mistakes; it was the simple plans that went well. Taras hoped that this one didn't go badly; a lot was at stake here.

They turned a street corner, bringing them into view of the southern gate. Taras could see a relatively small detachment of guards protecting the gate. _Good, nothing major._ They'd chosen the southern gate to exit through for good reason; the gate was old and run down, and as a result, very few guards patrolled it.

Taras didn't blame the men, he wouldn't want to have been stationed in a broken down guard house on the bad side of town either. At least, it made his job far easier for him.

The horses pulled them to the gate, where they were stopped by the guards. Using his years of experience and discipline, Taras steeled his nerves and let Oleg do the talking.

An annoyed looking man came up to them; he wore a plumed helmet, so Taras assumed he was the officer in charge. The man rattled off a string of Saderan that Taras couldn't follow. He was still learning the language.

Oleg responded slightly slower, but still too fast for Taras. He pointed back at the civilians, probably telling the officer they were transporting slaves.

Taking a look at the civilians, the officers rubbed his chin for a moment. He then gestured towards Rosina while saying something to Oleg. Taras immediately rested his hand on the silenced pistol under his cloak; he didn't like where this was going.

Oleg blinked a few times before quickly shaking his head, denying whatever request the man had made.

The officer didn't like that and started speaking in a hostile tone. He gestured to his men then made some sort of threat to Oleg.

Taras had enough of being in the dark. "What's he want?" he quietly asked in Russian.

Oleg looked at Taras for a split second before returning eye contact to the Saderan. "He wants ten minutes with Rosina… privately…"

Taras glanced back at Rosina, who watched them with fear in her eyes. The woman had just survived being a slave for the Empire, he wouldn't let her go through a similar ordeal. "Offer him the gold to leave us alone."

Reaching down, Oleg brought a sack of gold and held it out for the officer. He translated the offer into Saderan, holding out the gold.

Slapping away Oleg's gold, the officer drew his sword and started yelling. He pointed the sword towards Rosina and shouted a demand at Oleg. Taras slowly removed his pistol from its holster.

"He now wants two of the women because of our disrespect," Oleg muttered to Taras.

Taras tightened his grip on his pistol. "Tell him to collect the two he wants. Get ready for a fight."

Oleg quickly translated for the officer. Losing his angered expression, the Saderan smiled and sheathed his sword. He walked past them, to the civilians in the rear carts.

As soon as the officer stopped paying attention to them, Taras shot him in the back of the head.

The other soldiers reeled back in shock as they watched their leader drop dead to the ground. Oleg reacted quickly and drew his own pistol, firing twice into the chest of another soldier. Immediately, Ustin and Slava hopped out of their carts, pistols drawn.

Several more suppressed gunshots rang out as the Spetsnaz operatives rapidly brought down the remaining Imperial soldiers. Taras looked around to make sure there weren't any other Imperials around them.

"All clear!" he yelled out to the others.

"We should get going; who knows when another patrol will come by," Ustin suggested.

Taras nodded in agreement. "Let's get going before someone finds the bodies!"

Mounting their carts, the Spetsnaz operatives drove the horses forward, going through the now undefended gate. Taras pulled his cloak back over him and handed the reigns to Oleg. That had been bloodier than he'd hoped, but at least no one was wounded.

* * *

Page looked over the new American forces coming through the Ginza gate. It was another couple thousand men, sent to reinforce Page's unit and take command of U.S. troops away from the Japanese.

Judging by the speed of which the new marines had arrived, Page assumed that they had been prepared before to be deployed and were simply awaiting the order to do so. President Dirrel probably had been just waiting any sort of justification to send more Americans through the gate.

Dirrel received that justification when the Russians announced that an American citizen had been captured by the Saderan Empire. Now the U.S. was finally able to stretch its wings and show off its full might.

Not only were more men coming through, but also more equipment. Whereas previously the marines had been mostly reliant on Japanese aircraft, now Page could spot shiny new F-35s being hauled into the Special Region. In addition, while Page's unit did arrive with several main battle tanks, they were being sent a large amount of M1A1 Abrams to reinforce them.

"Colonel Page," a voice addressed him from behind.

Page quickly spun around, finding a bald brigadier general looking at him. Quickly he saluted the general and straightened his posture. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I'm Brigadier General Nelson, here to assume command over American forces in the Special Region," Nelson said confidently; the man certainly looked well prepared.

Page let a small smile creep onto his face. He wouldn't have to follow the orders of generals who didn't even speak the same language as himself anymore. With an American general, he'd finally be free of Japanese incompetence.

"Glad to hear that, sir," he responded quickly.

Nelson smiled. "Why don't you update me on the situation here while we take a tour around the base. I hear there's all kinds of strange things in this world."

Page nodded. "Gladly, sir."

* * *

Man just as I come back, I get sick. Life really just wants to kick you some times. Oh well, I'm fine now and here's the next chapter. Also, I'd like some suggestions for American equipment in the Special Region, specifically for the Marine Corps if anyone's willing.

hellisonfire345: Thanks, glad to be back.

Blazblade: I'll have a scene with Motoi in it next chapter so you'll get to see the Japanese reaction. Thanks for the support, my family is doing well and we're all just moving on in life.

rdawamindra: You gave more than enough support to me, I'm very thankful. Also your English is fine.

Artyom-Dreizhen: Like I said, glad to be back. More is on its way.

Zaralann: Thanks!

TheExpL0DiNgaPplE: I'm doing alright now, thanks for the concern.

clancy: Thanks!

Guest Million: I'm good now, thanks for the support. And yeah, there's gonna be more dangerous things for the Russians to deal with. And the UN is certainly going to have a role in the near future.

Blood Business: I'm doing well, ready to write more.

Guest: ANOTHER UPDATE!

Papon777: I'm glad you liked it.

SPQR47: Yeah, I'm also a bit surprised at how fast I recovered. I guess once the funeral was over, live just moved on.

tamerlan110: Fortunately the rocks she was hit with weren't uranite or else she'd have been in even worse trouble.

Arms Dealer: I've been considering introducing Armata vehicles, my only concern is a lack of information and combat record. I can find those pretty easily for the BTR series and T-90, but less so for Armata vehicles due to their relatively recent introduction.

Guest: No, Viktor Statnik has no relation to the Viktor Reznov.


	26. Chapter 26

Caelia surveyed the city of Dusan once more. Ruled by the House of Tesar, Dusan was only a major city due to its location near several major gold deposits. Caelia had been to the city a couple times in the past, but she'd never stayed long; House Tesar wasn't friendly to mercenaries.

"You have everything you need?" Alina approached her from behind.

Resting her hand on the pistol at her side, Caelia nodded in affirmation.

The Russian put her hand on Caelia's shoulder. "Make sure you remember what I taught you, and be careful; we won't be able to help you if anything goes wrong."

"I know the risks," Caelia replied. "You don't have to worry; I've been here before."

Alina sighed and took her hand off Caelia's shoulder. "I know, just be careful. We'll be waiting nearby for when you get back."

Caelia lifted her small travel pack onto her shoulders. "I'll be back soon, don't worry," she said as she began to walk towards the main road leading to Dusan.

Alina watched her walk off for a few moments before sighing once more and turning to head back to the rest of her squad.

As Caelia approached Dusan's main gate, she noticed a few key differences from when she'd last been to Dusan. Most noticeably, the road was packed full of wagons and people accompanying those wagons. Judging by their clothing and items, Caelia assumed they were refugees, probably fleeing the dragon attacks that had been happening.

The second thing she noticed, was that there weren't any guards protecting the main gate. Typically, they'd be stationed outside to question suspicious looking travelers, such as herself, but here there were none. In fact, it didn't look like any of Dusan's walls had any guards on them at all.

 _Where did they all go?_

Caelia shook her head with a sigh. At least this meant she would have an easier time entering the city. In the past, she'd always had to bribe her way into Dusan; House Tesar had forbidden mercenaries from entering.

Walking through the gates, Caelia was once more surprised by the differences she saw in the city. Previously, Dusan had been a rather wealthy city, but now she could see beggars lining the streets.

Nearby, a thief sprinted away with a man's coin purse, but no guard went to pursue him. Subconsciously, Caelia readjusted her own coin purse.

Caelia refocused her attention; she was here to find a healer, not to ogle at criminals. There was a tavern at near the gate, that would be a good place to start looking. Whenever you needed information, the local tavern was always a good place to start.

Resting her hand on the pommel of her sword, Caelia headed for the tavern. Dusan was no longer the lawful city she had visited years ago. She was going to have to keep a wary eye out for criminals.

* * *

Dark, crowded, and filled with the stench of drunkards, the tavern was everything Caelia had expected it to be. Drunken men attempted to sing, while others tried to brawl with each other as she walked to the bar. It was a nice reminder of her old life, before she'd joined the Russians.

There was a gruff man tending to the bar; he looked too short to be completely human, perhaps he had a bit of dwarven blood in him. Sliding off an unconscious drinker from the barstool, Caelia took a seat.

Immediately the man noticed her and turned to face her. "What do you want?" his gravelly voice certainly didn't show any signs friendliness.

"Information," Caelia answered simply.

The bartender stroked his face. "I serve ale, not information. Go find a fortune teller if you want that."

Caelia knew his type, she'd seen the act plenty of times before. Reaching down, she brought out two Denari, more than enough to buy him over.

There was a small grumble before the man snatched the coins from Caelia's hand. "What do you want to know?"

She got straight to the point, "Where can I find a healer?"

The bartender shook his head. "We haven't got any," he stated.

"Not a single healer in the entire city? That's impossible." Every place had local healers; whether it be an old wise woman from the local village, or an experienced mage from Rondel, everyone had some type of healer.

"There are healers in the city, just none you can use," the man stated simply.

Caelia crossed her arms. "And why's that?"

The bartender glanced around as if making sure no one was listening, before leaning in and whispering, "The gangs took them all; they keep them busy healing their thugs so they can continue fighting the other gangs for territory. You'll have a hard time convincing them to let the healer come with you."

"What happened to the city guard? Is House Tesar unable to put down the gangs?" The last time Caelia had been in Dusan, crime was nearly nonexistent.

"Most of the guards were killed at Alnus Hill with King Duran's army, then the dragon came and made everything worse. I don't even know if House Tesar has enough men to guard their own mansion, let alone fight gangs," The man whispered. "Refugees don't make it any better, poor men with nothing left to lose are exactly what the gangs look for when recruiting."

Caelia nodded in understanding. If she was to get help for Arpeggio, she'd need to deal with criminals. "Where can I find one of these gangs?"

The man's eyes narrowed. "I know a lot of things, but I don't know that. Don't get me involved in this."

Caelia sighed; she'd need to figure out the rest on her own. "I'll take a room for the night, if you have one," she said while bringing up a couple more Denari.

"Fine, don't cause any trouble." The bartender handed her a key and pointed towards a set of stairs.

Caelia nodded. "I don't plan on it."

* * *

"When did it happen?" Tullus questioned the militiaman beside him.

The man shifted uncomfortably as he answered, "Just last night, sir."

Tullus sighed and looked over the body that laid before him once more. It was one of the Rondel militiamen they'd begun to recruit. The man had clearly been killed with magic; evidence of scorches caused by fire and lightning magic were all over his body. Unfortunately, in a city filled with mages, that did little to narrow down suspects.

Looking away in disgust, Tullus continued to question the man beside him, "How did this happen?"

"Well… he stopped answering his radio checks towards the end of the night. We didn't assume much of it, Rondel's been mostly friendly to our forces, it was assumed he just fell asleep on duty." Tullus could tell the man was nervous; he constantly shifted from his left foot to his right.

Tullus rubbed his head; they'd become too lax. While Bellnahgo had faced consistent resistance, Rondel had been the exact opposite. He continued his questioning, "Where did you find the body?"

"Near the east gate, sir. Not too far from his post."

"And his equipment?" If whoever had done this had managed to get their hands on Russian technology, things would start becoming far more difficult.

"They took his radio, flashlight, ammunition, and rifle. Everything else was left behind, sir," The militiaman gulped as soon as he finished speaking. A bead of sweat rolled down his face.

Tullus narrowed his eyes and looked the militiaman straight in the face. "Why was he alone?"

"H-he wasn't sir; the other four men in his squad are... reported missing. We haven't recovered any of their bodies yet..."

Tightening his fists, Tullus nearly lashed out at the man. His men had let their guard down, and now they were missing at least one rifle, possibly four more, though that was unlikely since not all militiamen received firearms. Whoever had done this would have to pay.

"Double our patrols, and have any man caught falling asleep on duty flogged for disobedience. Get me the names of all potential suspects, this cannot go unpunished," Tullus ordered.

The man turned to leave, but suddenly stopped himself. "Shall I inform the Masked Men of this development?" he asked.

Tullus blinked a couple times; he hadn't thought about that. Russian support could be useful here, he doubted the resistance would last long if he involved them. At the same time, if Agent Cheslav or Russian High Command discovered that he'd allowed a firearm to fall enemy hands, he would be in serious trouble. He couldn't afford to lose his position.

Tullus made his decision, "Don't inform them for now, we can handle this on our own."

The militiaman bowed. "Yes sir."

* * *

Page sat with Brigadier General Nelson as they met with the Japanese commanders; they were trying to bring Nelson up to speed with the current situation. Neither Page nor Nelson spoke fluent Japanese, so they had to use a translator. The current state of things were already complicated enough without the language barrier, having to translate everything made it even worse.

"General Hazama says that Russian forces control everything north of Italica," the translator said to Nelson as they looked over a map of the Special Region.

"No, no, that's got to be some kind of error, the Russians couldn't have advanced that much without being challenged by the JSDF," Nelson quickly responded.

The translator spoke to Hazama before looking back to Nelson. "He says they own these two major cities." The translator pointed to Rondel and Bellnahgo. "Everything in that area is either unexplored or controlled by Russian forces."

Nelson looked at Hazama as he spoke, "You mean to tell me that you allowed for Russian forces to capture two major cities in the time that you only captured one?"

The translator nodded, "That is what he said."

"Not only this, but you chose to halt your advance and send diplomats to the Empire, after completely obliterating their army?"

There was a moment of back and forth between Hazama and the translator, but eventually he replied, "Yes, that is what happened."

Nelson took a step back from the table and looked at Page with a defeated expression on his face. "Who the fuck gave you command…?" he muttered while shaking his head.

"General Hazama would like to ask if you are alright," The translator said, bringing Nelson's attention back to them.

The brigadier general sighed. "Yes, I'm alright… I think this meeting is concluded for now, we'll finish it at a later date."

There was a nod from the Japanese general. "General Hazama agrees, he says we can meet tomorrow morning," the translator replied.

Nelson nodded. "Come on Page, I need a smoke," he said while grabbing Page by the shoulder, forcing him to follow the brigadier general.

They exited the building, prompting Nelson to let out a deep sigh. He lit up a cigarette and leaned against the wall. Nelson's body visibly relaxed as he smoked.

"I take it you don't like how the Japanese have handled the situation so far, sir," Page said.

Nelson chuckled and exhaled smoke. "If we'd been in charge from day one, we'd be sitting in Sadera right now. Why the hell haven't they done the same?"

Page shrugged. "Maybe they're afraid of the Russians, sir?"

"I doubt it," Nelson said as he inhaled on his cigarette. He breathed out and elaborated, "The Russians are enemies of the Empire too, if anything they'd try to have their own men be apart of the advance. Besides, even if the Russians tried something, the Japanese have U.S. backing, Russia won't risk stopping them."

Page nodded. "I see, sir."

Nelson sighed before speaking again, "It doesn't matter now anyways. We're just waiting for the UN to assemble their peace keeping force before we move on Sadera, Japanese negotiations be damned. There's talk of a joint assault with the Russians."

Page smiled at the thought of finally getting to do something besides logistics work. "You think that'll happen anytime soon?"

Nelson shrugged his shoulders. "It better happen soon, they'll send the damned army in if we take too long, and we can't have the army taking our job."

Page's smile widened. "As if the army could do half of what marines do."

* * *

"Zorzal's been appointed heir?!" Diabo couldn't believe his ears. Zorzal had bragged that their father would make him the next emperor, but Diabo hadn't truly believed it.

Pina nodded in affirmation. "Yes. The order of succession was decided."

Diabo swore under his breath, "Damn it… father was too rash when deciding."

"Diabo?" Pina questioned his behavior.

"Zorzal's gone mad!" he hissed out. "He intends to rise up against father and told me to pick a side!"

Pina's face became shocked. "Zorzal said that?"

Diabo nodded. "He's a danger to all of us. The fool will bring down everyone around him if nothing is done." He looked into Pina's eyes. "You need to decide what you're going to do too."

He stormed off before Pina could respond to him. This entire situation was idiotic at best, and deadly at worst. Zorzal was going to bring about the Empire's fall and their father was only helping him do it. Pina wasn't any better, she wanted to use the Green People in order to take the throne that Diabo deserved.

Diabo couldn't trust anyone in his family.

The only suitable candidate to become Emperor was himself. He was the only one that could make the Empire survive and even prosper in the face of these otherworlders. Zorzal and Pina were just obstacles in his path.

He would become Emperor, no matter the cost.

Diabo needed a plan though. With Zorzal having his father's approval, and Pina having the Green People's support, Diabo needed his own sponsors. The common people were an option, they had been influential in choosing Emperors in the past, but Diabo wasn't well known to them; not to the same extent as Zorzal.

Nobles were another option, the upper class often had much power over Imperial politics, but Diabo knew most of them had either aligned themselves with Pina or Zorzal. They believed his siblings were the only options, Diabo needed something to assert himself as a strong candidate first. He needed someone else.

It came to him in an instant; the answer to his problems. They had power, wealth, and a strong presence in Sadera. Even the Green People were not as powerful as them.

 _The Masked Men..._

* * *

There were several flashes as Motoi entered the conference room. Reporters always loved to get the first glance at any important event and publish it to the entire world. Motoi ignored the cameras and took his place at his podium.

Several days ago, the Russian UN ambassador had informed the world that the Saderan Empire had been holding foreign nationals as captives. The JSDF, and by extension the Japanese government, had no idea that people from other nations had been captured. They'd known several Japanese citizens had gone missing, but gathering information on missing tourists was incredibly hard.

In hindsight, they should have expected something like this to have happened, but just too much had been going on at the time.

The reaction to this news brought about problems for Motoi, both at home, and internationally. While the Japanese government was aware of missing Japanese citizens, the general public had little knowledge. Motoi didn't want to cause panic, so he didn't release the information; unfortunately, the secret came out.

Opposition parties immediately used it as ammunition against Motoi, hoping to garner support for future elections. In addition, the nationalist parties were absolutely furious and gained even more support than they'd ever received before.

Both of those things were to be expected, but the biggest blow was from Motoi's own conservative party. Upon hearing the news, Motoi became hated by not only the opposition, but also the very party that had brought him into office. He was now a prime minister hated by nearly all political parties.

International response hadn't been any better. Within hours of the Russian ambassador's speech, Motoi had received a call from President Dirrel demanding to send more American troops through the gate. Motoi was hardly in any position to refuse the man; after all, there was an American citizen among the group of captives the Russians had rescued.

America wasn't the only nation that wanted access; Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UN had all demanded their forces be allowed into the Special Region. Again, Motoi couldn't refuse their requests.

The UN wasn't happy with the fact that Japan had kept so many things hidden from the public eye, and most world leaders were in agreement. Several rumors had already gone out that Motoi's government had known about the foreign captives, but still refused to inform other foreign nations.

Motoi was hated by both his own people, and the international community. He finally knew what the North Korean leadership felt like.

"Ahem," Motoi tested his microphone and began his speech, "Good evening, this is the twenty third time I have addressed the nation, and it is most likely the last time."

He paused for a moment, building up the courage to continue to his next line. "During the short period of time I have been prime minister, I have tried to guide Japan in the way I believed to be most beneficial for her people." Motoi took a deep breath. "However, due to several contributing factors, and some ongoing health concerns, I no longer believe I am fit to serve the Japanese people effectively."

Motoi could see the reporter scribbling down notes as the cameras recorded his every word. "It was my hope to serve until the end of my term, but recent factors have made it clear that this cannot happen. Without the support of the Diet and Japanese people, I do not believe I could carry out the difficult tasks of my office in an effective manner."

He began to come to the end of his short speech. "I hereby announce my formal resignation from the office of prime minister of Japan, and I hope my successor will be more suitable for the nation's needs. It has been a great pleasure to serve my nation."

Immediately, Motoi began to walk for the door. Several journalists tried to ask questions, but Motoi ignored them. Never again would he lead Japan.

* * *

Chapter 26, hurray! Thanks for all the suggestions for American weaponry, I've taken it into account for future chapters. Also I need some suggestions for what nations should comprise the UN Peacekeepers. I know that there are a lot of Chinese and Indian UN peacekeepers, but I also want some other nations.

Vostok2142: Ah, now the problem with a conflict between the US and Russia is that it would have to remain small and isolated since war between superpowers isn't something that will happen. That doesn't mean it's completely eliminated as an option, but if it is added it won't be war.

GhostScorch: Thanks! I'm really happy to be back.

Perseus12: As do we all.

zelta-nine: I think I did some of that in this chapter, but there might be more of it for the next prime minister, Morita.

Manh Hai Nguyen: Thanks for the suggestion, joint action with different nation's troops will come soon.

rdawamindra: Thank you very much! That's a good comprehensive list, I'll be sure to use it.

Zaralann: I use a Russian name generator for it, but if you have suggestions for less common Russian names, please tell me.

Feerzo 14: Glad to be back.

draegon75: You're right that the US Army is a better occupation force, but the marines are there to supplement the JSDF (for now) and not to completely replace them.

V1kingz-98: You know, I was thinking about adding Belorussians and Kazakhs, but I'm just not sure that their militaries would be different enough from the Russian military to justify them. I'm not 100% decided on it though.

Guest: Pina is worried, but her priorities are on Zorzal right now.

Guest: Yes, they are a nuclear power. There are currently no WMDs in the Special Region though.

Papon777: The Russians send supplies to Atlant-012 by dropping off their supplies via helicopter and then having operatives collect it. This only happens very periodically though and most of their food comes from Mizari. The VDV have been on my list for inclusion since the beginning, but I haven't found a place for them yet. The T-90 and BTR series cannot be airdropped, they're just too heavy. Instead, Russian airborne use their own vehicles such as the BMD series which can be airdropped, yes if the airborne make an appearance so will their vehicles. And yeah the ASM-Val can use 30 round magazines, but more common is the 20 round one.


	27. Chapter 27

Tullus did his best to keep a neutral face as Agent Cheslav sat in front of him. While the Russians didn't know about any of the problems he was currently facing in Rondel, Tullus couldn't help but be worried. After all, if Cheslav found out how badly his men had messed up, he could lose his position, or possibly even his life.

Cheslav placed a report onto Tullus' desk and spoke, "Our scientists in Moscow have been very interested in the mages that were brought back to Russia, we'll require a larger sample size in the future. I assume that won't be a problem?"

"Of course not," Tullus said while forcing a smile. In truth, he suspected that would agitate the resistance against Russian rule even further, potentially resulting in some form of retaliation.

The Russian analyzed his face for a moment. Cheslav frowned as he spoke again, "You seem uneasy, is something bothering you?"

Tullus quickly suppressed any minor panic he experienced. "Nothing major, just dealing with some incompetence in the militia. I'll have it sorted out shortly," he replied, smiling. The best lies always had a hint of truth in them.

"Are they not operating at sufficient capacity?" Cheslav questioned.

Tullus shook his head. "They're more than capable; it's just that due to the lack of action they've grown a little careless. Sleeping on the job, drinking on duty, that kind of stuff," once more he replied with a half-truth.

The Russian shook his head disapprovingly. "You should instill discipline in your men, things like that can't go-"

Gunfire suddenly erupted in the distance, interrupting their conversation. Both men immediately stood, looking around in confusion. Tullus took a peek out his office window, but couldn't see anything going on outside.

Cheslav took out a radio and spoke into it in Russian, "Korpus-331, do you copy?!"

At the same time, Tullus picked up his office phone and dialed for the building's militia officer. The officer answered his call, and Tullus immediately started questioning him, "Where's that gunfire coming from? Who is engaged?!"

There was a brief silence before the officer answered him, "We have radio reports that one of our checkpoints is under attack; do we have permission to deploy more men to the area?"

"Yes, deploy as many men as you need! Do not let them overrun that checkpoint!" Tullus ordered without hesitation. If there was any important equipment stored there, didn't want to let it fall into the hands of rebels.

"Understood, sir," the officer said before disconnecting from the call.

Tullus ran one hand through his hair while taking a deep breath. This was quite possibly one of the worst times they could have attacked; any hope of hiding Rondel's resistance from the Russians was gone now.

Cheslav suddenly cleared his throat, drawing Tullus' attention. "My men are ready to assist your militia, if needed, but first I'd like to know exactly what is happening."

Breathing out a sigh, Tullus slumped back into his seat. He took a moment to think through his response before answering, "Rondel isn't as peaceful as we'd hoped. There was a recent incident with minor resistance against our forces; I was hoping to crush it before it could grow."

"And I wasn't informed of this?" Agent Cheslav kept a neutral face, but Tullus knew there had to be some anger beneath it.

There was a brief pause as Tullus came up with an excuse. "I didn't think it was major enough to warrant concerning you. If I had a little more time, I could have the city rid of any resistance."

Cheslav nodded slowly and started to head towards the office's door. "Deal with this quickly, and prevent resistance from growing further," he said while exiting the room. "Do not mess up, you're on thin ice."

Tullus waited until he was sure Cheslav was out of the room before he let out a breath. He was in trouble, but he had a chance to save himself. As the gunfire continued to ring out in the distance, Tullus contemplated what his next course of action was to be.

* * *

Caelia had a plan, or rather the basic idea of a plan. What she needed was to get in contact with one of the gangs and then convince them to let her bring a healer back to Viktor and the others. She already had an idea for how she was going to find a gang, figuring out how to persuade their boss was a problem for later.

Dusan may have been peaceful the last time she'd been here, but Caelia had plenty of experience in crime ridden cities. Just a few months in Sadera's Red Light District had taught her more than enough.

Walking into a dark alley may not be great advice for someone trying to avoid trouble, but Caelia intended on doing the exact opposite. What better way to find a criminal than to make yourself a target. _Just as long as I don't become too much of a target._

It only took a few seconds before Caelia felt someone watching her; she couldn't pinpoint where exactly they were, but she knew they were there. Several seconds later, she heard movement behind her; most likely a thief planning to ambush her. Every instinct in her body screamed for her to run, but that wasn't the plan.

A voice suddenly came from behind her, "Take a wrong step, girl?"

Caelia turned to face whoever had spoken. She was greeted by a fat ugly man with a sword in one hand and his other arm dangling at his side. As an experienced fighter, Caelia wasn't impressed; he held his short sword like it was some sort of glorified bludgeon, and had no semblance of a fighting stance.

"Perhaps she's just looking for a good time," another voice came once more from behind her.

Quickly glancing over her shoulder, Caelia spotted a scrawny looking man holding a rusty dagger. He'd managed to surround her without making a sound, but that was the only redeeming quality she could see in him. Like the ugly one, he also seemed to have no sense of fighting skill.

"I'm right where I want to be," Caelia said as she rested her hand onto her sword's pommel. "And if I was looking for pleasure, you'd certainly never make the cut."

The ugly man made a guttural noise that sounded like a mix between a growl and a cough. "She's a witty little bitch; how much gold do you think she's got on her?"

"She's got armor, must be a knight," the scrawny one replied. "Knights have lots of gold."

"After we rob her, we'll get to see what's under that armor," the ugly man said snickering. He stepped forward with his sword in hand.

Without second thought, Caelia unsheathed her own sword; the longsword's freshly polished blade was in sharp contrast to the thief's dull shortsword. She held the tip right to the ugly man's throat.

"I'm here with a task in mind, you are going to help me complete that task," Caelia said while driving her sword's point slightly into the man's skin.

Behind her, she could hear the scrawny one fiddling with his dagger. If she left him alone for long enough, he'd probably try and stab her.

Caelia decided to stop that before it could begin, "If you take one step closer, I'll kill your friend, then kill you."

The scrawny man's dagger clattered to the ground; Caelia was finally getting somewhere. Soon after, the ugly man's short sword was dropped as well. Both men looked at her with a mix of fear and curiosity.

"Now, I'd like you to take me to your boss."

* * *

Bodies were already being piled up by the time Tullus arrived at the checkpoint that had been attacked. He looked around in disgust at the fighting; this was his home, things like this weren't supposed to happen.

"Our militia lost four men to the resistance fighters; they killed at least twelve of the enemy before they had to retreat and wait for reinforcements," The militia officer besides Tullus read off the report to him. "By the time extra men arrived, the enemy was gone and our dead looted."

Looking around, Tullus could see why his men had retreated. The resistance fighters, marked by the blue armbands they wore over their clothing, vastly outnumbered the militia. Most of them were common people, but a significant amount could be identified as mages by their robes.

The small ten man squad that had protected the checkpoint stood no chance.

Militiamen didn't have the advanced technology or knowledge their Russian counterparts had. The few rifles they had received were only able to fire semi automatic fire, armor was of Imperial design making it completely ineffective against magic attacks, and their training was hardly of the highest quality.

Tullus had seen first hand what Russian weapons could do; if they had the same capabilities, this never would have happened. Alas, the Russians didn't trust them.

That was made this conflict difficult. With only enough rifles to supply one or two per squad, his militia had to rely and traditional Saderan weapons. That would be normally fine, but his militia weren't of the same caliber that Imperial soldiers were; if the resistance had veterans among them, his militia wouldn't be able to hold their own.

Mages added a further complication to the conflict. Since Rondel was unique with its high population of mages, it was safe to assume the resistance would always have magic support. Rifles were still superior to magic, but the mages could pose a significant threat to Tullus' men.

Despite all of this, Tullus couldn't rely on the Russians for this; Cheslav had made it abundantly clear that Tullus could not mess this up. Relying on the Russians to defeat the resistance would only show Cheslav that he couldn't be trusted to handle problems, and would probably end in his dismissal, or worse execution.

Tullus had been a Legate for many years prior to his service to the Russians, but he'd never fought a war like this. Nevertheless, this would be the war that decided his fate.

* * *

Caelia was led into the sewers by her new guides. The scrawny one, Dostal as she'd learned, had insisted that was the only way to reach their gang's hideout. _Of course it's in a sewers, criminals always love to hide in the sewers._

Really there was no reason for the gang to hide away in the sewers; guards no longer patrolled the city streets so they had nothing to fear. It was probably just remnants from when they used to be hunted down; they'd most likely not considered moving out of the sewers, even though it was now safe.

Broz, the ugly one, gestured for her to follow him around a corner. The two criminals had begun to relax around her after their initial encounter; Caelia almost trusted them not to jump her if she turned her back on them. Almost.

"So who's your boss?" Caelia asked. "I'd like to know a few things about him before we meet."

Dostal snapped his head towards Caelia. He had a puzzled look on his face as he replied, "You don't know Sir Slad? Why'd you ask to meet him then?"

Caelia ignored his questions and asked her own question, "Who's this Slad?"

"It's Sir Slad," Broz corrected. "He's a knight."

Dostal nodded with vigor. "Best boss in all of Dusan, he's got control of the whole north east, bigger territory than any other boss." He paused for a moment, clearing thinking. "Well, besides for Masek."

"Artur's stronger than him," Dostal chipped in.

"Yeah, but Sir Slad's got people ready to go after him, won't be big for long," Broz argued.

Immediately, Dostal began to argue back, "But, Artur's got more th-"

"Could you get back to the topic at hand, please?" Caelia interrupted.

Dostal's eyes lit up. "Right, so he's a knight, got that?"

A single nod was all the reply he received.

Grinning, Dostal continued, "Well, rumor has it, he had a little trouble with gold; didn't have enough to support some of his habits. So to keep from going broke, he started working with folks like us; one thing led to another, and now he's one of the biggest bosses in Dusan."

"Aye, he's crafty. He took out all of his competition in the north east, didn't leave one boss alive," Broz stated.

"What's your relation to him? Are you his thugs?" Caelia inquired.

Dostal shook his head vehemently. "No, no, we're earners. We rob people, then give some of our share to Sir Slad for his protection. His thugs are meaner than us, trust me on that."

"Yeah, they're mean people," Broz said while nodding his head in agreement. "Saw one cut out a man's tongue for singing too loud; you don't want to mess with them."

"Slad makes his money solely by robbing people?" Caelia couldn't imagine that would be sustainable; there couldn't be that many people worth robbing in a city riddled with crime.

Dostal shook his head again. "Sir Slad protects people like us, but he also protects merchants and shops. We all pay for his protection."

"We're not allowed to rob anyone who deals with him," Broz pipped in.

Caelia nodded in understanding. She supposed that made more sense; the lack of guards would mean merchants needed some sort of protection, and paying off gangs was probably cheaper than hiring mercenary guards."

"What's your business with Sir Slad anyways?" Broz questioned. "You didn't even know who he was before we told you."

"It's not your concern," Caelia replied tersely.

"We answered your questions! Can't you just do the same?" Dostal demanded.

"It's not your concern," Caelia repeated. Giving information to criminals, no matter how friendly they were, was a bad idea.

Broz rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter, I guess. We're here anyways." He gestured towards what looked to be a tunnel carved into the sewer system.

Dostal gestured towards the tunnel and gave a mock bow. "Ladies first."

Rolling her eyes, Caelia walked through the tunnel. It led to a thick wooden door with a small vision slit on it. She looked back towards her guides and both men gestured for her to knock.

With three quick knocks, she announced her presence to whoever was on the other side. Almost immediately, the vision slit opened and a man with rotten teeth looked back at her.

"Who the fuck are you?" the thug demanded.

Caelia chose to ignore his question and jump straight to the point, "I'm here to see Slad, I've got something important to discuss with him."

"Didn't answer my question," he stated firmly.

Caelia was about to respond with a fake name, but Broz chose that moment to step in. "Let her in, Zak. She's with us."

The thug's eyes darted between Caelia and Broz before he slammed the vision slit shut. Seconds later the door opened, letting Caelia step inside; Broz and Dostal followed her in.

"You two better know what you're doing here, it'll be your head if turns out bad," Zak said as he began to lead them through a hallway.

Dostal rolled his eyes. "Just like the last few times…"

Zak stopped them before another door, this one much less sturdy, and spoke, "I'd stop making jokes if I were you, be respectful, and you'll be fine."

Caelia nodded in understanding and the thug opened the door for them, revealing a relatively large room. She spotted several groups of men sitting around the room, but most of her attention went to the center of the room, where a stern faced man in plate armor sat in a chair.

Both Dostal and Broz kneeled as they approached the man, but Caelia remained standing, she wasn't going to kneel for criminals. The man, who she assumed was Slad, slowly stood from his seat and looked over Caelia curiously.

Mustering up her confidence, Caelia decided to take the initiative and speak first, "Sir Slad, I'd like to talk with you."

Slad opened up his arms in a welcoming manner. "Well then, my lady, please talk."

* * *

All foreign captives had been evacuated back to Oryol Base successfully, hopefully they'd be back in their home countries within a few weeks. Atlant-012 had experienced very little problems, and returned back to Sadera easily. All the while, the Imperials suspected nothing.

Still, the work of Spetsnaz operatives was never completely finished.

While the discovery of foreign nationals had sidelined Taras' original objective, there were still Russian citizens in captivity. They had a list of all sales concerning Russian civilians, now they just needed to get them back. Taras already knew what their first operation was going to be.

The vast majority of male citizens had been sold to work in salt mines. Taras wasn't an expert on Roman mining techniques, but he was certain it was incredibly dangerous. Danger meant a time limit, if they waited they'd end up having to bring back corpses.

That was why the mines were their first target.

Taras was aware of the horrible acts that female slaves were probably facing, but they just didn't have the resources to go after both the mines and brothels at the same time. Mental scars, while terrible, had the potential of being helped; death couldn't be fixed.

In the end it was a hard choice to make, but they had to make it.

Once more, Taras and his team loaded up their gear. This was going to be a quick operation, so their equipment was limited in order to keep weight down. The key here was to move quick and get out fast; Taras didn't want to have to gun down all the salt mine guards in order to achieve their goal.

The other members of his team were ready to move; Taras loaded a magazine into his ASM Val before pulling up his mask. This was only the start of their missions.

* * *

Chapter 27, oh man this took longer than it really should have. A combination of a sinus infection, exams, and a small bit of writer's block delayed this chapter for longer than it should have been, but oh well. For a couple weeks I probably won't be publishing at the same rate I normally do because I've got some really important exams coming up. So yeah, I'm going to be spending a lot of time studying, but I'll most likely have some time to write as well. Also thanks for all of the suggestions for UN Peacekeeper countries, it's going to be a lot of help in some upcoming chapters, but just a fair warning with so many nations not all of them are going to be featured.

jimmin190: I'd say that the Russian navy most likely won't show up in this story. That's purely because ships are impossible to build without a dockyard, so they can't be built in the Special Region, and there isn't anyway to transport ships through a land gate like Novinka. That being said, I know there's Gate: Weigh Anchor which I would love to get my hands on to see a potential way of getting the navy in, but I haven't found an English translation.

Wacko12: With Viktor and the squad, she won't be going with Caelia into Dusan because it would attract too much attention.

rdawamindra: Thank you for the suggestions, I'll definitely take them into consideration.

Farelian: No promises yet, but they're added to the potential list.

Vostok2142: I don't plan on adding a UN point of view, they'll just be following either a Russian perspective or an America/Japanese perspective.

hellisonfire345: Thanks, I'll consider them.

Feerzo 14: Glad you pieced it together, and I'm glad you keep enjoying the chapters.

V1kingz-98: Thank you very much, India and Pakistan are most likely going to be in there, as for the others, we'll see.

Stuka87: Interesting, hellisonfire345 suggested them as well so I'll be sure to consider them.

Artyom-Dreizehn: I've definitely considered the idea of a proxy war and a whole cold war situation.

Zaralann: Interesting on the name generator, I had no idea, but it's a little late to change the names already in the story. If I add any more Russian characters I'll be sure to ask you for a name. As for killing Zorzal, the Spetsnaz operatives had a mission to rescue the slaves, that was all they were ordered to do. Killing Zorzal, especially with the JSDF there, isn't a liberty they can take. Russia won't risk, for now, pissing off the Japanese and by extent the Americans by doing something like that openly.

Guest: Another vote for the Philippines.

Guest: The Americans initially went under Japanese command, but now that there's an American civilian involved as well as other foreign nationals, that just isn't acceptable for a president like Dirrel. As per the Security Treaty Between the United States and Japan Article I, the US has the right to move troops through Japan. And yeah the nationalists are angry which is part of why Motoi resigned, his successor Morita will have a hard time ahead of him.

Didn't answer all reviews since I try not to answer speculations, but I did read them all.


	28. Chapter 28

Decanus Caldus leaned back in his chair, trying not to doze off in the night. His contubernium had been assigned to guard the salt mines due to the recent activity of the Masked Men and Green People. Prince Zorzal himself had ordered the mines be given extra security, probably due to the presence of slaves who were brought from across the gate. So far though, Caldus hadn't seen any otherworlders approach the mines.

 _Another useless task, waiting for something that'll never come. Who did I piss off to deserve this?_

Caldus stretched as he looked around at his room. It was dull and hardly decorated, perfect for a soldier. He rubbed his eyes, continuing the effort not to fall asleep.

The stench of the slave barracks permeated all around the mines. Sweat, unwashed bodies, and decaying corpses all mixed together to form an utterly revolting smell. Caldus could see why they were located outside the city walls rather than inside.

Not that the city was much better mind you. Sadera was the largest city on Falmart, but that also meant in stunk worse that a skunk's ass in your nose. Shit and piss were all over the streets, especially near Akusho. Disgusting place, Caldus wished he'd been assigned somewhere cleaner.

One of his men, Magnus, entered his room. "Staying awake just fine, Decanus?"

Caldus groaned. "The stench helps with that."

"Maybe we should give the slaves baths then," he suggested.

The two men looked at each other for a second before they both snorted in amusement. "Perhaps we should wash the pigs as well."

"The pigs would probably appreciate it more," Marcus said grinning.

"Mhmm…" Caldus yawned. "How are the otherworlders doing? They still alive?"

Marcus nodded. "Sadly they are, tough little bastards. They keep complaining though, never stop doing that."

"Perhaps we should beat them more often then," Caldus mused.

"Good idea, sir. I'll get the men on it in the morning."

"Speaking of our men, how ar-"

The conversation was suddenly interrupted by a sharp deafening noise. Both Caldus and Marcus looked around for its source.

"What was that?!" Caldus questioned, looking all around him for the source of the noise.

"I think it came from the guard barracks!" Marcus shouted back. "Stay here, I'll check it out!" The man drew his sword and ran through the door, leaving Caldus alone in the building.

Several seconds passed in silence. He looked out the window in his room, but the darkness obscured everything. Marcus was gone from sight. Caldus felt his heart rate increasing as the seconds went by.

"Vrag sprava!" a shout in some foreign tongue came from the outside.

Caldus looked towards the voice, but couldn't see anything in the darkness. An odd cracking noise soon followed the voice's command. One of his men screamed out in pain but was quickly silenced.

"Vse chisto!" Caldus heard the voice again.

There was movement outside the building he was in, but the darkness kept it concealed. Drawing his sword, Caldus prepared for was what coming.

"Brasayu granatu!"

Through the window, Caldus could see a flash light up one of the buildings, followed by an ear piercing bang. Several more cracking noises sounded out. His breathing quickened and his hands began to shake.

"Vse chisto!"

Caldus could hear movement outside his door. He tightened his grip on his sword, ready to cut down anyone who came through it.

The door opened, something was tossed into the room, the door was shut. Caldus kept his sword pointed towards the door as he slowly walked over to investigate what had just come through the door. It looked like some so-

Caldus' eyes burned with pain. His ears rang so loudly he couldn't hear what was happening. All of his senses were completely disorientated.

He stumbled around the room, trying to find somewhere to sit down. Caldus' vision gradually returned to him, only to see a man with a mask pointing some sort of staff at him.

Caldus opened his mouth to speak. His body hit the floor half a second later.

* * *

Taras loaded a fresh magazine into his rifle. The small group of guards that had been protecting the mines were all dead, his team had made sure of that. Now they just needed to free the slaves.

Approaching the slave barracks, he nodded for the other operatives to take up their positions. They stacked the door on either side while Taras approached it from the front. With a swift kick, he burst open the door, allowing for his team to stream into the room.

"All clear!" came the first call.

Taras entered through the door to find about three dozen men cowering in the building. His team looked at him for guidance.

"We're Russian Spetsnaz, here to rescue any captured civilians," he explained to the men.

"T-truly? We can go home?" one of the men asked in Russian.

Taras nodded. "I need all Russian civilians to follow me, you're going home."

About half of the men stood up. They began thanking the operatives profusely and shuffled their way through the door. Taras gestured for Ustin and Slava to guide them out.

One of the Russians suddenly stopped in his tracks. "What about them?" he asked pointing at the remaining slaves. "Where will they go?"

Taras didn't know, when they previously rescued slaves in the city Mizari would take care of them after the operation. But for this operation, they were already outside of the city walls and a helicopter was coming to extract them immediately. He doubted he could smuggle the Saderan slaves into the city.

"Tell them to gather any supplies they can here then start heading west." Command wouldn't approve of taking the Saderans with them, but if they managed to make it to Italica, maybe the Japanese would take them in.

The man nodded and began relaying what Taras had said to the Saderans. Standing up one by one, they began to thank him as they walked out of the room.

Taras made sure the last one was out of the room before he exited himself.

* * *

Caelia thought through her words carefully. Sir Slad looked different from the crime bosses she'd met in Sadera. Unlike those fat thugs, Slad had the appearance of someone honorable and just; never in a thousand years would Caelia have thought he was a crime boss.

Still the man was a threat and she knew better than to trust someone based on their appearances. Caelia needed a healer and that was what she was going to get, no matter the cost.

"According to my newfound friends, you're the most powerful boss in all of Dusan. Though the last time I was in Dusan there weren't any crime bosses at all." Caelia decided to try and become friendly with Slad, hoping it would make him more inclined to help her.

"Times have changed, Dusan isn't the city it once was," he replied with a charming grin.

"So have you, I hear. From a knight to a criminal, how did that happen?"

Slad's grin faded. "Temptations led to problems. Those temptations are gone now, but the problems have remained."

"Ah, you see I have my own problems as of now and I've come here to try and solve them," Caelia transitioned away from Slad's past.

"Interesting… Please continue, my lady."

Caelia cleared her throat. "I happen to be in grave need of a healer. All of the local ones seem to have gone missing, would you be able to provide one of yours to me?"

Slad rubbed his chin with one hand. "You look perfectly healthy, why do you need a healer?"

"One of my friends is injured," Caelia replied, trying not to give too much information away.

"Is that so…" Sir Slad walked up to Caelia. He paced around her as he spoke, "Normally I would be delighted to help a damsel in distress such as yourself."

Caelia sharply inhaled. She was no damsel, nor was she in distress.

"But I have to ask you something, what will you give me in return for this great service to you?"

Caelia grabbed her coin purse off her belt. "I have gold, I'll pay double the standard rate for a healer."

Sir Slad stopped pacing in front of her. "And here I thought you were of great intelligence." He gestured around the room. "I have plenty of gold, it is no longer of great value to me. I need something else."

"I can provide you with information of the world," Caelia replied with a frown. "I've traveled far and wide across Falmart."

"No, no, no…" Slad shook his head with disappointment. "I have no use for 'information of the world' if I needed a scholar, I'd pay for one. Try again, my lady."

"My services then," Caelia declared. "I've fought for years as a mercenary, I can do so for you."

Sir Slad smiled. "Finally we are getting somewhere!"

Caelia sighed internally. She didn't want to stay for long, Arpeggio didn't have a long time left, but mercenary jobs were time consuming. If Sir Slad decided to string her along, she'd be unable to do anything about it.

"What would you have me do?" she questioned.

The knight rubbed his chin once more, thinking carefully. "I have just a small job, not that difficult, someone of your experience should be able to handle it very readily."

Caelia was running out of patience. "Get to the point."

"Right, right of course…" Sir Slad took a deep breath in. "Nearby here, a former merchant has decided to abandon his trade. He's trying to become a criminal like me, and in doing so he is undermining my authority."

"You want me to kill him?" she guessed.

Sir Slad face turned to shock. "Kill him? No, no, no… I want you to scare him."

"And how do I do that?"

"An excellent question!" The knight pretended like he was thinking. "I have an idea! Bring him his sister's head!"

Caelia kept a stoney face, but in reality she was growing more and more disgusted with the knight in front of her. Killing a criminal was one thing, but killing an innocent woman was another.

"Do that and I'll provide for you whatever you need," Slad said smiling. "Do we have a deal?"

Caelia sighed, she didn't really have much of an option. "Fine, I'll do your job."

* * *

Tullus slid a Makarov pistol into the holster at his belt. He put on his Saderan armor and strapped his sword to his waist. Breathing in a deep breath, he met up with his militiamen.

The resistance in Rondel were far too troublesome for them to go unchecked any longer. Now that Agent Cheslav was aware of their activities, Tullus needed to crush them as quickly as he could before the Russians decided he wasn't valuable to them anymore.

They'd gathered information that the resistance were gathering in the Research District, away the common people. Tullus planned to eliminate them there.

He would lead the force personally. The militia lacked competent commanders and this operation was too valuable to allow some half-brained fool to mess it up. With around three hundred men, armed with a mixture of firearms and Saderan weaponry, he'd end the resistance.

Tullus looked over his militiamen. They weren't the highest quality of soldiers he'd commanded, but they were the only ones he had. Russian weaponry would have to make up the difference here.

He gave the order to march to his men. They began to head towards the Research District, attracting a great deal of attention from the civilians around them. Their footsteps echoed in the streets as they kept marching.

Tullus still didn't know the real reasons behind such a resistance in Rondel. As far as he was concerned, the city had been thriving under Russian rule. There had to be outside dissenters causing this, it couldn't have started in the city.

Whatever the reason behind it, Tullus was going to crush the resistance regardless. There would be no mercy for traitors.

His force approached the Research District, a large domed building that allowed it to be isolated from the rest of the city. Often times when he was younger, Tullus wished that he could be like the master mages inside. That dream was sadly not possible, but it didn't matter, he had far more power than those old men could ever have.

"Blow open the doors!" he commanded to his men. Tullus wasn't going to end the resistance by being kind, he needed to take every measure necessary.

His militiamen immediately set to work, placing explosive charges on the grand doors into the district. They hooked up detonators then backed away from the doors. Tullus nodded for them to set it off.

The explosion made a deafening boom as it went off. Tullus could see that the doors into the district had been blown clear off its hinges.

"Storm the building! Arrest every mage inside, kill those who resist!" He was going to end the resistance, no matter the cost.

* * *

So it's been a while. This is a pretty short chapter for my typical standards, but I've been getting a lot of private messages, some polite others fairly rude, asking for me to update this story. I'll still be focusing on Victoria's Gate for the most part, which is my other Gate story I've created for those who haven't seen it. Honestly the people who were demanding I update this story (the rude ones, not the polite ones) kinda put me off of writing it for a while and mix that with a good deal of writer's block means I didn't really have the motivation to update this story. So yeah here's chapter 28, don't expect another chapter soon.


	29. Sorry

After a lot of consideration about the future of Little Green Men, I've decided to officially put an end to it. The quality of writing in the early and mid chapters is quite frankly terrible and I don't have the motivation to go back and rewrite them for an overall plot which is in my eyes also terrible. I wrote this story because there were no stories about modern Russia going through the gate, now I understand why that is: writing a good story is hard. Though my reviewers are always supportive, I have continually had doubts and anxiety about the quality of my writing which is why I just cannot continue to write. Additionally I have a much more busy schedule so I'm unable to put the time and effort I would need in order to improve the quality of my work and it's just better this way overall. This also means I will not be continuing my other story Victoria's Gate. If someone who's better than me wants to pick up either story and continue it themselves then by all means go ahead.

Thank you readers for all the support you've given me. I'm sorry.


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